This term paper will talk about the different characters or functions of humour with special consideration of workplace situations. This will be including the use of humour to create solidarity contrary to rivalrous humour and repressive vs subversive humour.
It will become clear that humour is multifunctional and can work on different levels, which makes defining it difficult. Furthermore it tries to enlighten the linguistic strategies involved. Here the role of power will be looked at. The work shows what humour reveals about power relationships and its use either to enforce or to lessen status differences.
The connection between the individual and a group can be defined through humour. How solidarity is achieved will be investigated. Afterwards, it is about the relation between humour and gender being followed by the strategy to create workplace harmony. The issue of how humour contributes to group life, the way it affects social relations will be another point of interest.
Last but not least, it tries to show what kind of reactions can be evoked by using humour. It can work as tension releaser, as well as an aggression diffuser. Further possibilities of use are to hedge directives and to hide criticism which can trouble the participants. Especially the trouble of responding correctly to these will be an issue of discussion. The ambivalence of humour can be seen here again, which, once more, makes the problem of defining humour clear.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Defining Humour
2.1. Humour and the Workplace
3. The Functions of Humour
3.1. Creating Solidarity
3.1.1. Joint Humour
3.1.2. Jocular Abuse
3.2. Rivalrous Humour
3.3. Repressive Humour
3.4. Subversive Humour
4. Relating Humour
4.1. Humour and Power
4.1.1. Lessening Power Differences
4.1.2. Enforcing The Differences
4.2. Solidarity and Group Behaviour
4.3. Humour and Gender
4.4. Creating Workplace Harmony
5. Using Humour
5.1. The Strategic Use in Workplace Environment
5.2. Releasing Tension
5.3. Diffusing Aggression
6. Reactions to Humour
6.1. Unsuccessful Humour
6.1.1. Humour and the Language Barrier
6.2. Unintentional Humour
7. Workplace Humour on Television
8. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
The primary objective of this work is to explore the linguistic strategies, characters, and multifaceted functions of humour within workplace environments. The paper investigates how humour serves as a tool for social interaction, power negotiation, and group cohesion, while also examining the consequences of unsuccessful or unintentional humorous attempts in professional settings.
- The role of humour in creating or undermining solidarity and social hierarchies.
- Linguistic analysis of humour as a tool for power assertion or mitigation.
- The impact of gender and stereotypical behavioural norms on workplace humour.
- Humour as a mechanism for tension release and aggression diffusion in professional communication.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Creating Solidarity
Now let us start with examining the social functions of workplace humour in closer detail. The most obvious function humour serves is the power of associating the participants. Needless to say that this applies to humour in all areas. However, what is of special interest for this study is that it applies to business related humour. Colleagues in regular interaction develop over time a form of humour that contains in itself a certain amount of insider-humour. Naturally, the more social interaction they encounter with each other the more insider-amusement comes into existence. The same conclusion draws Holmes: “Most workplace humour is inextricably context-bound. Utterances which give rise to great hilarity among work colleagues often appear obscure and opaque to outsiders” (2000: 159). For only the colleagues have the contextual insights and along with that the necessary preconditions, only they can understand. Therefore, the group (of insiders) defines itself by the preconditions all the participants have in common. These groups are not stable because of constant changing of preconditions and what furthermore is important is that each individual can and does belong to many different of such groups. Why can one belong to more than one group? Every social contact creates preconditions for further development. But there are not always the same people involved, therefore the individual shares more preconditions with some than with others thus creating different social groups existing possibly inside bigger social groups.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the paper, focusing on the multifunctionality of humour and its linguistic strategies in a professional context.
2. Defining Humour: Examines the challenges in defining humour, highlighting its context-bound nature and the importance of both speaker intent and listener perception.
3. The Functions of Humour: Analyzes the social and psychological functions of humour, specifically focusing on solidarity, rivalry, and repressive or subversive power tactics.
4. Relating Humour: Investigates the connection between humour and power dynamics, gender, and the establishment of workplace harmony.
5. Using Humour: Explores the strategic application of humour in the workplace for building relationships, releasing tension, and diffusing aggression.
6. Reactions to Humour: Discusses the communicative consequences of humour, including failed, unsuccessful, and unintentional instances in professional and linguistic-barrier settings.
7. Workplace Humour on Television: Offers an insight into how media and sitcoms interpret and depict occupational humour and its failure.
8. Conclusion: Summarizes the key findings regarding the complex role of humour in shaping group culture and power relationships at work.
Keywords
Workplace Communication, Humour, Linguistics, Solidarity, Power Dynamics, Social Interaction, Repressive Humour, Subversive Humour, Jocular Abuse, Gender Differences, Tension Release, Aggression, Discourse Analysis, Professional Identity, Failed Humour
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper primarily investigates the character, functions, and linguistic strategies of humour specifically within workplace settings.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
Key themes include the use of humour to foster solidarity, the negotiation of power through humour, its role in workplace harmony, and the reactions to both successful and failed humorous attempts.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The goal is to explore how humour, as a multifunctional device, operates in a business context to influence social interactions, power structures, and group dynamics.
Which scientific methods are utilized in the paper?
The work employs a qualitative synthesis of established sociolinguistic theories, including Politeness Theory and Critical Discourse Analysis, to examine humour in various professional scenarios.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the definition of workplace humour, the functions of humour (solidarity, power, etc.), the relationship between humour and gender, the strategic use for tension management, and an analysis of how humour is portrayed in television sitcoms.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
Central keywords include Workplace Communication, Power Dynamics, Solidarity, Linguistics, and Discourse Analysis.
How does "repressive humour" function in a workplace hierarchy?
Repressive humour is used by those in superior positions to impose authority in an indirect, "disguised" manner, which aims to gain compliance while superficially reducing power asymmetry.
Why is "failed humour" significant to the study?
Failed humour is considered significant because it exposes existing power frontiers and social exclusions, revealing how the failure of an expected response can act as an act of resistance or a marker of group boundaries.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Lukas Szpeth (Autor:in), 2010, The use of humour in common workplace situations, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/542923
