Home Literary Studies 30 Play or Power: The Social Significance of the Practical Joke
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30 Play or Power: The Social Significance of the Practical Joke

  • Moira Marsh and Gary Alan Fine
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De Gruyter Handbook of Humor Studies
This chapter is in the book De Gruyter Handbook of Humor Studies

Abstract

This chapter deals with pranks and practical jokes, particularly their place in sociality and how targets and audiences judge their propriety. Although this form of joking is understudied, it is relevant because it is widespread and exemplifies the ways that joking is received and functions in social life. Practical jokes arise from, comment upon, and modify relationships. We classify practical jokes based on their social contexts into intra-group, ritualized, calendrical, or impersonal types. The social effects of practical jokes may be inclusion, exclusion, or rejection, but we recognize that audiences do not always find exclusion and rejection to be undesirable outcomes. The relationship of this deceptive play to questions of belief and trust between participants awaits further exploration. Since the bulk of existing studies concern practical joking by white males, more research is needed to determine whether it is evenly spread across various cultural, gender, and ethnic groups. Another unanswered question is how the social dynamics of practical joking in online settings resemble those in face to face groups. Interdisciplinary work could meld insights from psychological studies of individual humor styles with ethnographic accounts of the influence of small group dynamics on practical joking.

Abstract

This chapter deals with pranks and practical jokes, particularly their place in sociality and how targets and audiences judge their propriety. Although this form of joking is understudied, it is relevant because it is widespread and exemplifies the ways that joking is received and functions in social life. Practical jokes arise from, comment upon, and modify relationships. We classify practical jokes based on their social contexts into intra-group, ritualized, calendrical, or impersonal types. The social effects of practical jokes may be inclusion, exclusion, or rejection, but we recognize that audiences do not always find exclusion and rejection to be undesirable outcomes. The relationship of this deceptive play to questions of belief and trust between participants awaits further exploration. Since the bulk of existing studies concern practical joking by white males, more research is needed to determine whether it is evenly spread across various cultural, gender, and ethnic groups. Another unanswered question is how the social dynamics of practical joking in online settings resemble those in face to face groups. Interdisciplinary work could meld insights from psychological studies of individual humor styles with ethnographic accounts of the influence of small group dynamics on practical joking.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Preface 1
  4. Part 1: Essence of Humor: What Makes Something Funny?
  5. Section 1: Psychological Processes: Why Do People Find Things Humorous?
  6. 1 Psychological Approaches to Humor: The Interaction of Cognition and Motivation 15
  7. 2 Personality Approaches: Beyond the ‘Sense of Humor’ 31
  8. 3 Evolutionary Approaches to Humor: Critical Review and New Advances 49
  9. 4 The Neuroscience of Humor 65
  10. Section 2: Text Properties: What Makes a Text Humorous?
  11. 5 Computational Humor Models and Applications 87
  12. 6 The Role of Incongruity in Humorous Texts 105
  13. 7 Cognitive Approaches to Humor: Linguistic, Developmental, and Affective Science Considerations 125
  14. 8 Humor and Figurative Language 145
  15. Section 3: Broader Social Context: How is Humor Shaped by Social Relations and Culture?
  16. 9 Failed Humor 165
  17. 10 Humor and Culture 181
  18. 11 Humor and Translation: Cultural Implications 201
  19. 12 Cultural Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Humor 221
  20. Part 2: The Functions of Humor: How Do People Experience, Perform and Share Humor?
  21. Section 1: Psychological Processes: What Functions Does Humor Serve for the Individual?
  22. 13 Effect of Humor on Cognition 243
  23. 14 Humor Appreciation Across the Lifespan 257
  24. 15 Humor, Health, and Well-Being: Is Humor Really Good for Us? 271
  25. Section 2: Text Properties: What Contextual Factors Affect Humor Perception?
  26. 16 The Sociopragmatics of Humor 289
  27. 17 Conversational Humour 307
  28. 18 Satire and Parody 327
  29. 19 New Forms and Genres of Humor in Social Media 345
  30. Section 3: Broader Social Context: How Does Humor Function in Social Relations and Culture?
  31. 20 Humor as a Double-Edged Sword: Uniting and Dividing in Social Interaction 365
  32. 21 The Role of Humor in Initiating Romantic Relationships 379
  33. 22 Gender and Humor: The New State of the Art 395
  34. 23 Ethnic Humor Across Cultures: Prevalence and Appeal 413
  35. 24 Disparagement Humor and Subversion 431
  36. 25 Humor in Media and Popular Culture 449
  37. 26 Political Humor 467
  38. 27 Culture and Comedy: Stand-up across Cultures 479
  39. 28 The Art and Efficacy of Clowning 495
  40. 29 The Dark Side of Stand-Up Comedy 509
  41. 30 Play or Power: The Social Significance of the Practical Joke 523
  42. 31 The Ethics of Humor and Comedy 539
  43. 32 Humor in Religious Contexts: An Overview 557
  44. 33 Humorless or Humor-Friendly Religion? Psychological Theory and Research 575
  45. Postscript: Humor: Universality, Genealogy, and Concept Formation 595
  46. Contributors 605
  47. Index 617
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110755770-031

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Preface 1
  4. Part 1: Essence of Humor: What Makes Something Funny?
  5. Section 1: Psychological Processes: Why Do People Find Things Humorous?
  6. 1 Psychological Approaches to Humor: The Interaction of Cognition and Motivation 15
  7. 2 Personality Approaches: Beyond the ‘Sense of Humor’ 31
  8. 3 Evolutionary Approaches to Humor: Critical Review and New Advances 49
  9. 4 The Neuroscience of Humor 65
  10. Section 2: Text Properties: What Makes a Text Humorous?
  11. 5 Computational Humor Models and Applications 87
  12. 6 The Role of Incongruity in Humorous Texts 105
  13. 7 Cognitive Approaches to Humor: Linguistic, Developmental, and Affective Science Considerations 125
  14. 8 Humor and Figurative Language 145
  15. Section 3: Broader Social Context: How is Humor Shaped by Social Relations and Culture?
  16. 9 Failed Humor 165
  17. 10 Humor and Culture 181
  18. 11 Humor and Translation: Cultural Implications 201
  19. 12 Cultural Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Humor 221
  20. Part 2: The Functions of Humor: How Do People Experience, Perform and Share Humor?
  21. Section 1: Psychological Processes: What Functions Does Humor Serve for the Individual?
  22. 13 Effect of Humor on Cognition 243
  23. 14 Humor Appreciation Across the Lifespan 257
  24. 15 Humor, Health, and Well-Being: Is Humor Really Good for Us? 271
  25. Section 2: Text Properties: What Contextual Factors Affect Humor Perception?
  26. 16 The Sociopragmatics of Humor 289
  27. 17 Conversational Humour 307
  28. 18 Satire and Parody 327
  29. 19 New Forms and Genres of Humor in Social Media 345
  30. Section 3: Broader Social Context: How Does Humor Function in Social Relations and Culture?
  31. 20 Humor as a Double-Edged Sword: Uniting and Dividing in Social Interaction 365
  32. 21 The Role of Humor in Initiating Romantic Relationships 379
  33. 22 Gender and Humor: The New State of the Art 395
  34. 23 Ethnic Humor Across Cultures: Prevalence and Appeal 413
  35. 24 Disparagement Humor and Subversion 431
  36. 25 Humor in Media and Popular Culture 449
  37. 26 Political Humor 467
  38. 27 Culture and Comedy: Stand-up across Cultures 479
  39. 28 The Art and Efficacy of Clowning 495
  40. 29 The Dark Side of Stand-Up Comedy 509
  41. 30 Play or Power: The Social Significance of the Practical Joke 523
  42. 31 The Ethics of Humor and Comedy 539
  43. 32 Humor in Religious Contexts: An Overview 557
  44. 33 Humorless or Humor-Friendly Religion? Psychological Theory and Research 575
  45. Postscript: Humor: Universality, Genealogy, and Concept Formation 595
  46. Contributors 605
  47. Index 617
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