This paper deals with humor in cross-cultural contexts by drawing on Wierzbicka's concept of "cultural scripts". It explains why humor, more than other speech acts, is culture-dependent and describes the conditions in which humorous talk is initiated and upheld. Studies on possible reactions to humor and the difficulties of joking in an intercultural setting are discussed as well.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Humor and cross-cultural pragmatics
3.1 The play frame as trigger of humorous talk
3.2 Who initiates the play frame or humor in general?
3.3 Cross-cultural considerations on starting humor
3.4 Possible reactions to humor: (lack of) comprehension
3.5 Possible reactions to humor: mind if I join in?
3.6 (Social) functions and effects of humor
3.7 Humor in intercultural settings
4. Concluding remarks
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the complex relationship between humor and cross-cultural pragmatics, investigating how cultural norms influence the production, comprehension, and function of humorous discourse. The research seeks to identify how underlying cultural scripts shape individual tendencies to initiate, react to, or avoid humor, particularly in intercultural communicative contexts.
- The role of the "play frame" in designating humorous communication.
- The influence of social status and cultural values on humor initiation.
- The impact of cultural scripts on humor comprehension and potential misunderstandings.
- The social and interpersonal functions of humor, including identification, clarification, and differentiation.
- Strategies and challenges for non-native speakers in collaborative intercultural humor.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 Cross-cultural considerations on starting humor
In the following I will expose how different cultural scripts could influence the decision whether or not to make an attempt at humor. In various works of scientific analysis of cultures, the authors tends to focus on specific cultural values, investigating if these are considered important in a certain culture. Often, an opposing value is found, so that an easily understandable juxtaposition emerges. Examples of this are the pair of indirect and direct communication (typically ascribed to Japanese and German culture, respectively), or the division into hierarchical and egalitarian cultures. The problem with this approach is that anglocentric categorizations are used (as an example, Wierzbicka (2003: p.70) affirms that numerous languages do not possess words for the concept of self-assertion, widely used in cross-cultural research), which is why Wierzbicka advocates using cultural scripts written in terms that exist in every language, such as good, bad, want, know, etc. (ibid.:p.71-72). The following paragraphs will demonstrate how her more general research can be applied to the topic of this chapter: Who initiates humor?
Wierzbicka comments on cultural scripts developed to illustrate very general speech and behavior patterns. The high value Japanese culture places on considering other people’s feelings is expressed by this script:
“If I do/say something, someone could feel
something bad because of this.
I don’t want this.
I have to think about it before I do it.”
(Wierzbicka, 2003: p.85)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the linguistic challenge of defining humor due to its heavy reliance on cultural context and speaker-hearer relationships.
2. Methodology: Outlines the paper's non-empirical approach, utilizing Wierzbicka’s cultural scripts to analyze existing research on humor and irony.
3. Humor and cross-cultural pragmatics: Investigates the theoretical components of humor, such as the "play frame," social initiation, comprehension failures, social functions, and intercultural dynamics.
4. Concluding remarks: Summarizes how cultural scripts affect humor perception and emphasizes the need for integrative approaches when studying humor in L2 and intercultural interactions.
Keywords
Cross-cultural pragmatics, Humor, Cultural scripts, Play frame, Intercultural communication, Humor initiation, Linguistic theory, Social functions of humor, Irony, Sarcasm, Non-native speakers, Misunderstanding, Scaffolding, Collaborative discourse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
This paper examines how culture influences the pragmatics of humor, specifically focusing on how different cultural norms and values shape humorous interactions.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The main themes include the mechanisms of humor initiation (the "play frame"), the causes of humor failure, the social functions of humor, and the specific challenges of using humor in intercultural settings.
What is the central research question?
The research explores how cultural values and underlying scripts encourage or discourage the use of humor, and how these differences affect interpersonal communication across cultures.
Which scientific method is applied here?
The paper uses a descriptive, non-empirical method based on the analysis of cultural scripts as proposed by Anna Wierzbicka, rather than relying on strictly statistical data.
What is the main topic of the central chapters?
The central chapters analyze how humor is triggered, who initiates it, how listeners react to it (including failures in comprehension), its various social functions, and how these elements adapt in intercultural exchanges.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Key terms include cross-cultural pragmatics, cultural scripts, play frame, intercultural communication, and the social functions of humor.
How does the concept of the "play frame" facilitate humor?
The play frame allows participants to designate their contributions as humorous, signaling a cooperative mode where social rules are suspended to allow for playful exchange.
How do "cultural scripts" explain humor differences?
Cultural scripts provide a framework to understand how a culture's transmitted beliefs about "normal" vs. "odd" behavior inhibit or support the use of humor, thereby explaining why humor that is acceptable in one culture may be considered offensive in another.
- Quote paper
- Jakub Duch (Author), 2014, The Cross-Cultural Pragmatics of Humor, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/511881
