Contents
INTRODUCTION
Methodology and Transcription
Organisation
1. THEORIES OF HUMOUR
1.1 Superiority Theories
1.2 Relief Theories
1.3 Incongruity Theories
2.1 Performance
2.2 Possible Origins Of Theatre
2.3 Theatrical Space
2.4 Performer And Audience Interaction
3.1 Some Basic Notions
3.2 The Comic Figure In History
4. CLASSIFICATION, STYLE, CONTENT
4.1 Problems Of Classification
4.2 From Style To Content
5. COMPETENCE, PERMISSION, AMBIVALENCE
5.1 Some Models of Competence
5.2 Permission
5.3 Ambivalence
5.3.1 Studies: Ethnic Humour
5.3.2 Performers
5.3.3 Audiences
6. ANALYSING HUMOUR: A PRAGMATIC APPROACH
6.1 Speech Acts
6.2 Talk In Interaction
6.3 Some Features Of Talk
6.3.1 Turn-taking
6.3.2 Adjacency Pairs
6.3.3 Preference
7.1 Gender Identities
And Representations
7.2 Gender And Language
7.3 Gender And Humour
8. HUMOUR IN CONTEXT: THE THATCHER JOKE
8.1 The Performers, The Audiences, And Space
8.2 The Discussants
8.2.1 Different Competence In A Domain
Of Discourse
8.2.2 Assessing Competence In The Details
Of Talk
8.2.3 Non-engrossed Recipients
8.2.4 Heterogeneity Of The
On-Stage Audience
8.2.5 Audience Interpretation Of
The Story
8.2.6 Reconstituting The
On-Stage Audience
8.3 The Collaborative Floor vs. The Single Floor
8.4 Negotiating The Serious Import Of
Humour
8.4.1 Negotiating Prior Permission To
Joke
8.4.2 The Interactive Establishment
Of Meaning
8.4.3 Taking A Joke Seriously Adds To
Its Import
8.4.4 Three Possible Positions A Joker Can
Adopt When Challenged
8.5 Two Psychological Perspectives
On Joking
8.6 Preference
8.7 Politeness