The importance of not being earnest [electronic resource] : the feeling behind laughter and humor / Wallace Chafe.

ISBN:

9789027292971

9781282155091

Title:

The importance of not being earnest [electronic resource] : the feeling behind laughter and humor / Wallace Chafe.

Author:

Chafe, Wallace L.

Personal Author:

Chafe, Wallace L.

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 167 pages).

Series:

Consciousness & emotion book series ; v. 3

Contents:

The Importance of Not Being Earnest; Editorial page; Title page; LCC data; Dedication; Table of contents; Preface; Symbols used in transcribing laughter; Introduction; part oneHow we laugh; The essential ingredients of laughter; Varieties of laughter; Laughing while speaking; Beyond the vocal tract; part twoWhy we laugh; The feeling of nonseriousness; Nonseriousness without humor; Unplanned humor; Planned humor in oral traditions; Planned humor in writing; Humor in other cultures; part threePulling things together; Recapitulation; Reconciliation with other studies; Coda; References; Index.

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Wit and humor -- Psychological aspects.

Laughter -- Psychological aspects.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2007

Publication Information:

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
809.7 22	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The thesis of this book is that neither laughter nor humor can be understood apart from the feeling that underlies them. This feeling is a mental state in which people exclude some situation from their knowledge of how the world really is, thereby inhibiting seriousness where seriousness would be counterproductive. Laughter is viewed as an expression of this feeling, and humor as a set of devices designed to trigger it because it is so pleasant and distracting. Beginning with phonetic analyses of laughter, the book examines ways in which the feeling behind the laughter is elicited by both humorous and nonhumorous situations. It discusses properties of this feeling that justify its inclusion in the repertoire of human emotions. Against this background it illustrates the creation of humor in several folklore genres and across several cultures. Finally, it reconciles this understanding with various already familiar ways of explaining humor and laughter.

1 Preface	p. xi
2 Symbols Used in Transcribing Laughter	p. xiii
3 Introduction	p. 1
4 Part One: How we laugh
5 The\essential ingredients of laughter	p. 17
6 Varieties of laughter	p. 25
7 Laughing while speaking	p. 41
8 Beyond the vocal tract	p. 51
9 Part Two: Why we laugh
10 The\feeling of nonseriousness	p. 61
11 Nonseriousness without humor	p. 73
12 Unplanned humor	p. 89
13 Planned humor in oral traditions	p. 99
14 Planned humor in writing	p. 117
15 Humor in other cultures	p. 127
16 Part Three: Pulling things together
17 Recapitulation	p. 137
18 Reconciliation with other studies	p. 139
19 Coda	p. 157
20 References	p. 159
21 Index	p. 165

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Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Table of Contents