Phatic Communication

CORE DEFINITION

Greeting is a form of communication between people (and animals) or groups to express mutual awareness, concern, or to indicate a relationship (usually close) or social status. Greetings sometimes occur only at the beginning of a conversation or when passing by, such as on a sidewalk. Greeting customs vary across cultures and among individuals of different social statuses and relationships within the same culture, but all known human cultures have greeting customs. Greetings between people can be vocal, through physical behavior, or often a combination of both. This topic does not include military and ceremonial salutes, but does include other rituals beyond gestures. Communication can also be expressed through written exchanges, such as letters and emails. Some generations and cultures have very complex greeting rituals, such as greeting monarchs. Conversely, secret societies often have passwords or obscure forms of greeting, such as secret handshakes, that allow members to recognize each other. In some language cultures, the same phrase or gesture can serve as both greeting and farewell.