Jokes and their relation to society

A comparative and historical study of jokes and other forms of humor, addressing topics such as: local, regional, and ethnic jokes about stupidity; the Protestant ethic and the comic spirit of capitalism; ethnic jokes about alcohol--a study of the humor of ambivalence; and making fun of work--humor as sociology in the humorous writings of H.G. Wells. The author looks at several levels of explanation and concludes that although none provide a full account of joking, taken together they give insight into joking patterns. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Witz | Soziologie