Danish humor in cross-cultural professional settings: linguistic and social aspects

Lita Lundquist

doi:10.1515/humor-2013-0044

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Danish humor in cross-cultural professional settings: linguistic and social aspects

Lita Lundquist
Lita Lundquist is professor in the Department of Business and Politics at the Copenhagen Business school. In her work, she combines the study of comparative text linguistics with socio-political approaches to texts in order to analyse in conjunction cognitive, pragmatic and cross-cultural aspects of social phenomena. This is also the approach she proposes in the study of humor.

Published/Copyright: September 12, 2013

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From the journal HUMOR Volume 27 Issue 1

Abstract

The specificities of national humor are often mentioned in humor research, but seldom explained in depth. This article concerns two studies, which reveal that Danish humor (as used in professional settings) is judged by Danes and non-Danes alike as ironic, self-ironic, sarcastic, and direct, with no limits or taboos. These characteristics of Danish humor are analyzed here using two different theoretical frameworks: linguistics – where an explanation is found in certain type-specific features of the Danish language, namely the dialogical particles typical of the Nordic languages in general – and the historico-sociological approach proposed by Norbert Elias. According to Elias, the mentality of a people has been molded through an ongoing historical process of civilization. The civilizing process specific to Danish society has engendered a “campfire mentality”, leading up to the egalitarian, consensual welfare state. Work relationships in Denmark are based on a horizontal, flat structure with low power distance, a structure for which management researchers actually recommend the use of humor, irony and self-irony. Finally, the specificities of Danish humor are linked to a low degree of gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at, among Danes.

Keywords: national humor; cross-cultural professional contexts; processes of civilization; professional cultures; national mentality

About the author

Lita Lundquist

Lita Lundquist is professor in the Department of Business and Politics at the Copenhagen Business school. In her work, she combines the study of comparative text linguistics with socio-political approaches to texts in order to analyse in conjunction cognitive, pragmatic and cross-cultural aspects of social phenomena. This is also the approach she proposes in the study of humor.

Published Online: 2013-9-12

Published in Print: 2014-2-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/humor-2013-0044

Keywords for this article

national humor; cross-cultural professional contexts; processes of civilization; professional cultures; national mentality