Story by Seiga Ohtani

Illustration by Cam Giblin

Diane Baxter, a professor of Anthropology at the University of Oregon, was embarrassed when she tried to shake hands with a Muslim leader during her stay in West Bank, an area located between Jordan and Israel that is occupied by Israel. As she extended her hand, he declined. As a part of their religious beliefs, Muslim leaders never shake hands. When you go to other countries or when you shake hands with people from other countries, you may be a little confused. Is it a culture shock? Kind of. The ways of handshaking are different in each culture.
But despite differences, almost every culture seems to practice handshaking. The gesture is used when meeting a stranger for the first time, greeting friends after a long time, and saying goodbye. Along with hugging or kissing, shaking hands is one of the most popular activities in human relationships. Handshaking can occur in a wide range of interactions, from close friendships to business partnerships. And in sports rivalries, players take hold of opponents’ hands to admire a good fight.
But while the reasons for shaking hands may be similar across borders, the expression is often different. The most basic element is for each person to take hold of the other’s hand while facing one another. But beyond that, the rules are varied, leaving lots of room for confusion. Do you hold hands strongly or softly? Shake hands up and down? Grip the other person’s hands with both of your hands or just one hand?
Asian countries generally place a special emphasis on respect. So people need to show their feelings of respect when shaking hands; especially when young people are in the presence of their superiors, they must be polite. In Korea, it is important that people touch their own elbow while shaking hands. Claire Yang, a proprietress of Korea House, a Korean restaurant near the UO campus, said, “That’s for respect.” By doing this, people can show respect for others, especially a person whom they meet for the first time. She also said women do not often shake hands as men do.
Showing respect is also a vital part of shaking hands in Japan. Yang explained that people in Japan usually make a nearly ninety-degree bow to others when they shake hands.  This is another way of showing respect. As Yang explained, Korea and Japan are close countries to each other, and both countries have similar background culture in that people need to show their respect in some form.
When Luke Southworth, a student at the University, passes his friend on campus, the two punch each other’s fists. This is his way of greeting his friends in a casual way. Since they just pass each other on a sidewalk, never standing face-to-face, this action is a kind of formality of confirming friendship in an instant, especially among close friends. Among young people, this type of casualty is common. Southworth also explained that he changes his manner of shaking hands to suit each of his friends. Among close friends, people often use these casual handshakes, but in more formal situations, people should shake hands looking one other’s eyes in a straight line. Southworth explained that he uses this way when meeting somebody for the first time. “It depends on context,” stressed Southworth.
Like Baxter, Anita Weiss, a professor of International Studies at the University of Oregon, found that women never shook hands during her time in Pakistan. She usually goes to Pakistan twice a year on business trips. Instead of shaking hands, women express their friendship for one another by hugging or kissing. Women in Islamic countries also do not touch men’s body in public, so they cannot shake hands in public. Even men rarely shake hands except for in business, Weiss said. It is unusual for men to shake hands; instead they hug to express friendship. This ritual originates from a religious context, but Weiss explains that now it is more related to a long-established tradition.
People in different cultures use different ways of handshaking. In many countries, the gesture is a way of confirming friendship. In some countries, shaking hands not only signifies friendship, but is also a means of showing respect. It is common that people shake hands in a business context. The difference among cultures comes from whether people place emphasis on their expression to respect other people or representation of friendships.