ABSTRACT
Hospitality is a negotiated act between host and guest, and can be described as transgressive in nature in that it infringes thresholds of physical, psychological and symbolic character. This chapter commences with an exploration of the concept of hospitality and the polarities inherent in the context of service provision. The notions of order and disorder are introduced with a view to explaining these seeming contradictions with aspects of status, inversion of roles, inclusion and exclusion and the co-existence of sacred and profane elements endemic to the hospitality encounter highlighting these conundrums. Religion, religiosity and culture are examined in relation to their value and dictums on roles played by hosts and guests. Contradictions between the nature of religiosity and bacchanalian aspects of food and alcohol consumption in both domestic and commercial hospitality are investigated.
