Conviviality

(see other keywords defined)

The convivial

The cosy afterglow invested in Anglo-Saxon uses of the term 'convivial' (i.e. 'fond of feasting and good company, disposed to enjoy festive society', OED) probably reflects the Roman idea of feasting, celebration and social inclusion. (see 'festive engagement'). Illich (1975) uses it in a more ecological notion of 'life forms supporting one another.' This notion seems to resonate in non-western contexts, where Chinese terms, such as 'guanxi' (關係) or 'wu wei' (無爲), Korean words, such as 'jeong' (정), and the African word 'Ubuntu' all, in similar ways, describing the presence of informal, tightly-bounded interpersonal ties that enable local networks to collaborate and survive.

Further reading

• Illich, I., (1975), "Tools for Conviviality", New York, Harper & Row