dellospitalità

Dell’hospitalità refers to the concept, practice, and study of hospitality—the ways in which hosts receive guests, travelers, or strangers, and the ethical, social, and political implications of this reception. In Italian usage, it spans everyday hosting and the service economy as well as broader questions of care, welcome, and social obligation.

In academic discourse, dell’hospitalità encompasses disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, philosophy, theology, and law. It addresses how communities organize welcome, what duties arise toward others, and how welcome intersects with norms of reciprocity, courtesy, and social cohesion.

Philosophical and ethical analyses emphasize the host–guest relationship, examining obligations, vulnerability, and the limits of openness. Jacques Derrida’s Of Hospitality is a notable reference, exploring tensions between unconditional hospitality and the rights of the host, including concerns about sovereignty, borders, and the conditions under which hospitality can be extended.

Practical applications appear in the hospitality industry and tourism, where the concept informs service ethics, hotel management, and event hosting. It also features in humanitarian, refugee, and migration policy debates, where societies weigh the duty to welcome strangers against security, resources, and legal frameworks.

Critiques of the concept focus on potential abuses, unequal power dynamics between hosts and guests, and the risks of overextension or commodification. Despite these debates, dell’hospitalità remains a central topic in discussions of human rights, social justice, migration, and the design of welcoming, inclusive communities.