Who is Laughing Now?: The Role of Humour in the Social Construction of Gender

Authors

  • Marlene Mackie University of Calgary

Abstract

The sociology of knowledge is employed as a synthesizing framework to organize application of conclusions, drawn from studies of humour in other contexts, to gender relations. Humour plays a significant but dual role in the accomplishment of gender as taken-for-granted reality. First of all, since humour generally affirms societal standards, its key function is ideological buttress of the patriarchal status quo. However, in addition to this conservative, social control function, there is a subversive, rebellious aspect of comedy which serves to challenge male hegemony.

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Published

1990-04-01

Issue

Section

Original Research