Greetings in Africa – Beyond the Handshake: An essay on greeting and leave-taking rituals as communication practice in Sub-Saharan African Agrarian Societies

Résumé

In African Agrarian Societies greeting and leave-taking rituals are an essential part of the communication processes that constitute these societies as collective entities. Through elaborate forms of greeting and leave-taking people initiate and end communication and interaction processes within a framework of collective identities and cultures. Intricate greeting rituals allow to deal with all forms of encounters, with living people as well as with the spirits of the deceased. Greeting rituals are acquired through lengthy periods of learning. Their mastery is the sign of being an adult and competent member of society. External actors from different cultures often seem to be unaware of the subtleties of these greeting rituals. They ignore them at a cost. This essay provides fundamental insights into the inner workings of African societies as well as practical advice for outside actors in a wide area of interventions, such as development, public policies, administration, business, humanitarian assistance, and research. It aims to help them to avoid some of the most common pitfalls and put their communication on more solid bases.