Forms of Joking Activity: A Comparative Approach¹

Genre - text - interpretation: Multidisciplinary perspectives on folklore and beyond

“…As noted by Mary Douglas, anthropologists did not debate the joke itself, while joking as one form of expression is yet to be interpreted in its over-all relationship to other forms of communication (Douglas 1968: 361). Nonetheless, some anthropologists have provided detailed information on the verbal and physical manifestations of joking in certain social contexts which are quite similar to the šala in the Serbian context, emphasizing thereby the behavioral aspect of these activities (see Handelman et al 1972).…”

Redefining Rationality: Paranormal Investigators' Humour in England

“…Anthropologists have often found it helpful to deconstruct jokes and humour through their multiple frames (Handelman & Kapferer 1972;Beeman 2001). Beeman (2001) examines the operationalization of incongruity at a linguistic level.…”

From passing-gesture to ‘true’ romance: Kin-based teasing in Murriny Patha conversation

“…Teasing has been examined within adult conversations (Alberts, 1992;Drew, 1987;Haugh, 2010;Spielmann, 1998;Straehle, 1993), amongst children within primary schools (Lytra, 2007;Thorne, 1993;Voss, 1997) and high schools (Hoover et al, 1992;Moore, 1992), within child-directed speech (Demuth, 1986;Haviland, 1986;Miller, 1986;Schieffelin, 1986), within fraternity and sorority houses (Keltner et al, 1998;Lyman, 1987), within the workplace (Geyer, 2010;Handelman and Kapferer, 1972;Pizzini, 1991;Schnurr, 2009), within multicultural/multiethnic settings (Lytra, 2007(Lytra, , 2010, and with autistic children (Heerey et al, 2005). Most researchers recognise important pro-social functions of teasing such as affiliation, rapport building and various socialization practices springing from teasers' highlighting deviant behaviour.…”