Russell and the Handshake: Greeting in Spiritual Care

Abstract

One of the most common practices in spiritual care involves welcoming or greeting others. Despite this, there is little literature exploring this practice in terms of how it is experienced by those we greet, how it impacts people and relationships, and how it should occur. By reflecting on several stories of handshakes and greeting, this paper seeks to call to attention the experience, impact, and “how-to” of greeting in spiritual care.

Guidelines for Robot-to-Human Handshake From the Movement Nuances in Human-to-Human Handshake

“…It is also acknowledged that there are cultural and gender differences in handshakes ( Bernieri and Petty, 2011 ; Katsumi et al, 2017 ; Smith, 2020 ). The study could be improved by increasing the number of participants in the roles of handshake initiators and receivers from different cultures.…”

Handshake or high‐five: Greeting children

“…One can also bring ethical reflection to the handshake as ethics (framed along the lines of ‘how should I act’) is in play whenever people interact. However, the simple gesture of the handshake is complex, both practically (how to do it) and in meaning 1 . There is little research in the medical literature and nothing that includes children 2 .…”

“…However, the simple gesture of the handshake is complex, both practically (how to do it) and in meaning. 1 There is little research in the medical literature and nothing that includes children. 2 In this paper, I want to examine the origins and purpose of the handshake and its closely related action, the high-five, and to explore how paediatricians should do this when greeting patients.…”