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This qualitative study of humour theory provides a broad descriptive account of the current status of humour theory within the multidisciplinary context of human and social studies. The nature of qualitative research is examined in terms of its relevance to humour research studies. Qualitative research is found to be a generic term applying to a range of types of data collecting approaches that fall outside the ambit of quantitative paradigms. Quantitative methods are shown as having limited applicability to humour studies which are primarily reliant on data collecting. Humour is examined in terms of its biological, phylogenetic and historical antecedents. The emergence of schools of humour theory is discerned; and a study is made of changing social perceptions of humour in terms of the 'ruling discourse'. Humour theory is examined in terms of parameters of contemporary research which entails the processes of defining humour and theorizing about humour in terms of a variety of variables. Critiques are provided of Murdock and Ganim's macro-level descriptive study of humour definitions and theories as well as of Apter's reversal theory of humour. Reflectivity is employed as a qualitative approach to analyse the personal experience of a 'humorous event'. Attention is also given to the relevance of orality, oral tradition and anthropological perspectives to humour research. Finally, recommendations are made for further research.

CHAPTER ONE
A qualitative approach to humour theory … 1
1.1 The term 'qualitative' …1
1.2 Epistemological considerations: schools of approach …7
1.3 The nature of non-traditional research … 10
1.4 'Principles' of qualitative research …17
1.5 Labelling this study as 'qualitative' ...20

CHAPTER TWO
Humour in retrospect …25
2.1 The biological and phylogenetic roots ofhumour ...25
2.2 The historical roots of humour ...30
2.3 The emergence of schools of humour theory...34
2.3.1 Superiority theory …34
2.3.2 Incongruity theory …37
2.3.3 Relief theory …39
2.3.4 Psychoanalytic theory …42
2.4 Concluding comment …44

CHAPTER THREE
Defining humour: a contemporary perspective …47
3.1 Introduction ...47
3.2 Identifying the ruling discourse...48
3.3 The ruling discourse in retrospect …54
3.4 The ruling discourse in the Twentieth Century …57
3.5 Popular humour in the Twentieth Century ...61
3.6 'Megatrends' influencing the ruling discourse in humour studies ... 67

CHAPTER FOUR
Humour as a subject for contemporary research ...73
4.1 Introduction: quantitative-qualitative synergy ...73
4.2 Defining humour in the research tradition …76
4.2.1 Constitutive definitions ofhumour …77
4.2.2 Operational definitions ...79
4.3 Humour and the current methodological debate …82
4.4 Applying methodological principles to humour research …86
4.5 Variables that affect the nature of humour …89
4.5.1 The process of humour …91
4.5.2 The products of humour …94
4.5.3 The purpose ofhumour …96
4.6 Humour-in-action : a qualitative approach …97

CHAPTER FIVE
Research in humour: Murdock and Ganim's descriptive study …105
5.1 Introductory comment …105
5.2 Murdock and Ganim's descriptive analysis: aims and scope ofthe
researchers …107
5.3 A macro-analysis ofhumour definitions …110
5.4 A macro-analysis of humour theories …114
5.5 A critique of Murdock and Ganim's study …116

CHAPTER SIX
A critical study of Apter's reversal theory of humour …124
6.1 Reasons for the selection of Apter' s theory ...124
6.2 Background to Apter's reversal theory …126
6.3 Apter's reversal theory of motivation …128
6.4 Telic and paratelic modes …131
6.5 Apter's reversal theory of humour …132
6.6 A critique of Apter's humour theory …134

CHAPTER SEVEN
A micro-study of a 'humorous event': reflective practice in action …137
7.1 The methodological approach …138
7.2 The self-study: reflective practice in action …142
7.2.1 The smile oftriumph …143
7.2.2 The smile of nostalgia …144
7.2.3 Psychoanalytic theory …144
7.2.4 The smile of self-recognition ...147
7.2.5 Appreciation of aesthetic qualities ...149
7.2.6 The reversal theory of humour ...149
7.2.7 Relief or tension-reduction …155
7.2.8 Incongruity theory …156
7.2.9 Derivative reflections …161
7.3 Concluding remarks …169

CHAPTER EIGHT
Humour, orality and the oral tradition …173
8.1 Introduction ...173
8.2 The performance of humour …178
8.3 Case study: the comedian …184
8.4 Case study: the new boss …189
8.5 General comment concerning the case studies …193
8.6 Translating performance into words …195
8.7 Humourin words and deeds …203
8.8 Parallel synergies …210

CHAPTER NINE
The anthropology of jest: the anthropologist as trickster …213
9.1 The implications of the chapter title …213
9.2 Humour in anthropological fieldwork...216
9.3 A Miner miracle …220
9.4 Anthropological perspectives of humour theory …226

CHAPTER TEN
Concluding comments …232

BIBLIOGRAPHY …242

NAME INDEX …258

Tables
Table 4.1 Murdock and Ganim's perspective of theoretical elements in humour
definitions …87
Table 5.1 Characteristics ofhumour definitions and their relationship to creative person, process, product and press …111
Table 5.2 Humour theories and their relationship to creativity …115
Table 6.1 A basic set of four contrasting emotions …122

Figures
Figure 4.1 Lasswell's classic metacommunication model and its application in the telling of a joke …94
Figure 6.1 The relationship between arousal and hedonic tone according to optimal arousal theory (Hebb, 1955) …122
Figure 6.2 Reversal theory : experiencing arousal
Two opposite ways of experiencing arousal are suggested by reversal theory. Each horizontal bar represents one of these 'modes', the direction of preferred arousal change being depicted by the hatched arrow-head on each bar. The possibility of reversing from one mode to the other is represented by the double-headed vertical arrow …123
Figure 6.3 The relationship between arousal and hedonic tone according to reversal theory
The two hypothetical curves represented by a continuous and a dashed line depict the two modes postulated by reversal theory. For comparison, the dotted line making an inverted V-curve represents the single mode of optimal arousal theory …124

Appendix A
Purposes of qualitative research: a select glossary of relevant terms from
Qualitative research: analysis types and software tools by Renata Tesch.
New York: Falmer Press, 1990. Pages: 27-30; 39-41; 50-51.
Appendix B
Humour and sense-of-humour, wit, comedy and jokes: a select collection of
relevant definitions, etymology and quotations from The Oxford English
dictionary, 2nd rev. ed. on compact disc for IBM PC. Oxford University
Press, 1994.
Appendix C
Humour and the oral tradition: it's not the joke, it's the way you tell it by
Lawrence Gordon. Paper presented at the Vth International Oral Tradition
Conference, 14-16 July, 1997. Centre for Oral Studies, University of
Natal, Durban.
Appendix D
Revolting rhymes: humour as a subversive activity in children's literature by
Lawrence Gordon. Paper presented at the International Children's
Literature Conference 4-6 April, 1995. University of South Africa,
Pretoria.
Appendix E
From trickster tales to pulp fiction: reception dynamics in a transforming
South Africa by Lawrence Gordon. Published in Proceedings:
SAIBI/SAILIS Conference, Cape Town, 18-22 September, 1995. Pretoria:
SAILIS.