Migrująca teranga : o współczesnych przemianach afrykańskiego systemu świadczeń całościowych we Włoszech

Abstract

In the article, discussion was presented of the teranga phenomenon, originally occurring primarily in Western Africa (Senegal and Gambia), particularly among the Wolof people, but also in other ethnic groups: the Serers, the Toucouleurs and the Dyulas. Derived from the Wolof language, the teranga translates as hospitality, but this does not exhaust the meanings attributed to it in its vernacular culture. Teranga is based on reciprocity, it can be viewed as a system of total prestations, as proposed by Marcel Mauss: a tight-knit community of people who continuously engage with each other. Teranga facilitates horizontal flow of various goods (tangible and intangible) and sustains the social bonds that exist among the highly stratified Wolof community. Herein the focus is on how teranga functions under cultural conditions that are significantly different from those in its vernacular culture; on emigration, particularly in the context of the Senegalese ethnic groups living in Italy. Drawing on field work results and publications by Italian cultural anthropologists, the analysis approaches the role of teranga as a motivator of the contemporary Senegalese who actively engage in blood donation in Tuscany (their attitudes towards blood donation are different from the behaviours of other immigrant groups). Research indicating preservation of values originating from the vernacular culture is also evoked, especially with regard to how the ethical system of teranga impacts the formation of new models of “remote parenthood”, which can also be considered a manifestation of the people’s care for their children’s upbringing in their native country. A conclusion is that the transformation of teranga in emigration and the durability of the basic values can be considered in terms of intangible cultural heritage that is consciously preserved and passed on to next generations. The conceptual framework of the article stems from deliberations on social space and the ways in which it is formed, maintained and reorganised in culturally, ethnically and nationally diverse communities.