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The purpose of this Culture Guide is to identify and describe the fundamental cultural issues in Senegalese society in order to help you acquire the cross-cultural skills essential to your success as a development worker in Senegal. Although many different ethnic groups are found in Senegal, these groups generally share common cultural patterns and practices. Therefore, this Culture Guide applies to the majority of the country's people, while a certain emphasis is placed on the widespread Wolof culture. |
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Having chosen to live in Senegal, you have chosen to grapple with an entirely new society whose values, priorities and goals may be quite different from those in which you have been brought up, in which you have believed and which you have defended for over twenty years. Consciously or unconsciously, you have been affected by the ideals of your own society. Senegalese society can be viewed as a system composed of elements which work together to reinforce the basic goals of the society. Because these goals differ from those with which you are accustomed, the dress code, eating habits, work ethics, attitudes towards money and material possessions, ideas about equality, structure of language, holidays, religion, education, gender roles, and importance of time and space all reflect different priorities.
You are not obliged to change your beliefs and values in order to live comfortably in Senegal. However, you can certainly make your life easier and your work more efficient by understanding and applying this new Senegalese system rather than trying to challenge it by imposing your own priorities and expectations. By integrating positive Senegalese values and traditions and adapting compatible techniques from the West, you are more likely to achieve the goals you have set out to accomplish and to live a more complete and fulfilling experience in Senegal.
