Elsevier

Journal of Pragmatics

Volume 40, Issue 10, October 2008, Pages 1661-1686
Journal of Pragmatics

Humor as a resource for mitigating conflict in interaction

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2007.12.001Get rights and content

Abstract

This article investigates humor as a conversational resource for mitigating conflict in interaction. It explores the structures and dynamics of conflict talk, showing how participants contextualize their interaction as conflict. Then it explores various types of humor and their effects on conflict sequences. In particular, it demonstrates: (1) how humor can successfully end conflict; (2) how one participant can for a time ignore/reject attempts at humor by others; (3) how humor can forestall an impending conflict, but fail to end it; (4) how two parties in conflict talk can ignore attempts at humor by a third, unratified party; (5) how laughter can help resolve conflict even in the absence of humor; and (6) how a humorous key can prevent conflict from arising in potentially contentious contexts. Further, it demonstrates that the effectiveness of humor depends on a series of factors: first, the seriousness of the conflict, second, the social power relationship between the participants, third, the kind of humor, fourth, the reactions of the participants, and finally, who initiates the humor.

References (54)

  • Jeff Coulter

    Elementary properties of argument sequences

  • Morton Deutsch

    The Resolution of Conflict: Constructive and Destructive Processes

    (1973)
  • Morton Deutsch

    Conflict: productive and destructive

  • Elisa Everts

    Identifying a particular family humor style: a sociolinguistic discourse analysis

    Humor

    (2003)
  • Roger Fowler

    Power

  • Sigmund Freud

    Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious

    (1960 [1905])
  • Erving Goffman

    Frame Analysis

    (1974)
  • Erving Goffman

    Replies and Responses

    Language in Society

    (1976)
  • Erving Goffman

    Forms of Talk

    (1981)
  • Helmut Gruber

    Streitgespräche. Zur Pragmatik einer Diskursform

    (1996)
  • Helmut Gruber

    Disagreeing: sequential placement and internal structure of disagreements in conflict episodes

    Text

    (1998)
  • John Gumperz

    Discourse Strategies

    (1982)
  • John Gumperz

    Contextualization revisited

  • Janet Holmes et al.

    Relational practice in the workplace. Women's talk or gendered discourse?

    Language in Society

    (2004)
  • Janet Holmes et al.

    Power and Politeness in the Workplace

    (2003)
  • Ian Hutchby

    Confrontation Talk. Arguments Asymmetries and Power on Talk Radio

    (1996)
  • Francis Hutcheson

    Reflections on Laughter

    (1971 [1750])
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text