Family humour in contemporary Belarus: forms, practices and vernacular reflections
Date
2020-07-06
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Abstract
Doktoritöös uuritakse huumori rolli Valgevene pereelus. Uuring põhineb suulistel intervjuutel ja veebiküsitlusel. Andmekogu sisaldab näiteid suulisest ja digitaalsest huumorist, mida minu uurimistöös osalejad pereringis jagavad, samuti nende mõtteid selle kohta, kuidas ja miks nad huumorit peresuhtluses kasutavad. Huumorinäidete analüüs osutas, et perekonna humoorikas folkloor koosneb paljudest teemadest ja vormidest, kuid suulise folkloori populaarseimad žanrid on vestluslikud naljad ja humoorikad lood, mis põhinevad perede isiklikel kogemustel. Seega pole humoorikas folkloor perekondlikus suhtluses kunagi impersonaalne ja seda kohandatakse tavaliselt perekontekstiga. Perehuumori ja emotsioonide tugev seos muudab selle riskantseks ettevõtmiseks.
Ühelt poolt suudab huumor oskusliku kasutamise korral täita mitmesuguseid funktsioone, mitte ainult esinejaid ja nende publikut lõbustades, vaid aidates neil ka konfliktiga toime tulla, pakkudes neile alternatiivset viisi pereliikmete kritiseerimiseks ning grupisiseste ja -väliste piiride kinnitamiseks. Vernakulaarsed lood huumori kasutamisest peresuhtluses tunnistavad ja rõhutavad huumori kasutamise positiivseid külgi. Perehuumori heatahtlikuna tajumine on tihedalt seotud ideaalse perekonna paradigmaga, sh pereliikmete eest hoolitsemise vajadusega. Teisest küljest võivad mõned huumori ilmingud olla seotud tõsise agressiooniga. Piir huumori ja agressiooni vahel on sageli hägune: huumori agressiivsuse või heatahtlikkuse tingib kontekstist, milles seda kasutatakse.
Ehkki minu uuringutulemused põhinevad valgevene perekondadelt saadud materjalil, on neil paralleele teiste kultuuridega ja need kajastavad suundumusi, mis on levinud maailma eri paigus. Seetõttu võib käesolevas doktoritöös käsitletud juhtumianalüüs olla mudeliks, mida saab edaspidi testida teistes sotsiaalkultuurilistes oludes.
This PhD thesis explores the role of humour in Belarusian families’ life. The study is based on oral interviews and an online survey. The dataset includes examples of oral and digital humour shared by my research participants, as well as their reflections on how and why they use humour in their family communication. The analysis of humorous examples reveals that family humorous folklore comprises many topics and forms, but the most popular genres of oral folklore are conversational jokes and humorous anecdotes based on the families’ personal experiences. Humorous folklore is never impersonal in family communication, and it is usually adapted to the family context. The fact that family humour is imbued with personal meanings, values and emotions make its use potentially risky and its role at times ambivalent. On the one hand, if used skillfully, it can perform a variety of functions, not only entertaining the performers and their audiences, but also helping them to resolve conflicts, offering a subtle way to provide criticism and corrective feedback, and serving to establish and maintain in- and out-group boundaries. Vernacular accounts of humour use in family communication acknowledge and underscore its positive aspects. The fact that my respondent’s accounts of their family humour generally depict it as a benevolent force is likely connected to self-image and self-presentation: the idea that family members should care about, and be kind to each other, whereby using humour is one way to maintain domestic harmony. On the other hand, some manifestations of humour may border on, or be taken for serious aggression. The boundary between humour and aggression is often fuzzy: interpreting humour as aggressive or benevolent depends on the context in which it was used. While many of my study results are based upon the particularities of Belarusian families, my key research findings have parallels in other cultures and reflect trends that are visible in different parts of the world. Therefore, the case study discussed in this thesis can serve as a model to be tested in other sociocultural settings.
This PhD thesis explores the role of humour in Belarusian families’ life. The study is based on oral interviews and an online survey. The dataset includes examples of oral and digital humour shared by my research participants, as well as their reflections on how and why they use humour in their family communication. The analysis of humorous examples reveals that family humorous folklore comprises many topics and forms, but the most popular genres of oral folklore are conversational jokes and humorous anecdotes based on the families’ personal experiences. Humorous folklore is never impersonal in family communication, and it is usually adapted to the family context. The fact that family humour is imbued with personal meanings, values and emotions make its use potentially risky and its role at times ambivalent. On the one hand, if used skillfully, it can perform a variety of functions, not only entertaining the performers and their audiences, but also helping them to resolve conflicts, offering a subtle way to provide criticism and corrective feedback, and serving to establish and maintain in- and out-group boundaries. Vernacular accounts of humour use in family communication acknowledge and underscore its positive aspects. The fact that my respondent’s accounts of their family humour generally depict it as a benevolent force is likely connected to self-image and self-presentation: the idea that family members should care about, and be kind to each other, whereby using humour is one way to maintain domestic harmony. On the other hand, some manifestations of humour may border on, or be taken for serious aggression. The boundary between humour and aggression is often fuzzy: interpreting humour as aggressive or benevolent depends on the context in which it was used. While many of my study results are based upon the particularities of Belarusian families, my key research findings have parallels in other cultures and reflect trends that are visible in different parts of the world. Therefore, the case study discussed in this thesis can serve as a model to be tested in other sociocultural settings.
Description
Väitekirja elektrooline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone
Keywords
humour, customs, family, Belarus