‘On Standby’: Malagasy Social Relatedness between ‘On’ and ‘Off’

Abstract

In highland Madagascar, people often let social relations drift into a ‘dormant’ state. Within this state, people refrain not only from interaction, but also from further defining the nature of social relations. This ‘dormant’ state, which may last for a considerable time, reflects cultural norms of social interaction and, as this article argues, needs to be considered when aiming for a better grasp of the mechanisms upon which social relatedness in highland Madagascar is based. So far, social organisation in highland Madagascar has generally been described as highly pragmatic, situational and generally ‘fluid’ in nature. By ethnographically exploring the social dynamics of music bands in Antananarivo, I will show how it is due to a widespread reluctance to deal with conflict directly that social relations drift into a rather vaguely defined mode referred to by Malagasy musicians as ‘on standby’. The article aims to contribute a processual perspective to the situational structure of relatedness and, in doing so, provides an explanation for the more general atmosphere of mistrust which has recently been considered to characterise social relations in Madagascar.