Joking, Affinity and the Exchange of Ritual Services Among the Kiga of Northern Rwanda: An Essay on Joking Relationship Theory

Questions for a Theory of Humor

“…However, it also appears that aggressiveness can be overdone in ways that undermine perceived funniness (Zillmann and Bryant ; Bryant ), and there are ways of using aggressive forms of humor in order to express affection. Overtly hostile joking practices are common ways of fostering intimacy in traditional societies (Freedman ), and teasing remains a common way of cultivating closeness (Keltner et al , ; Oring ). Unsurprising, then, that Gruner was wrong about the nature of the relationship between laughter and aggression.…”

Social Construction of Teasing

“…Radcliffe-Brown's ( 1940) seminal article on joking relationships posited the existence of a social relationship in some cultures where specific individuals were obliged to engage in teasing and joking as a means of managing social conflict. Although the classic formulation of the joking relationship has been criticized on a number ofpoints (Drew, 1987;Freedman, 1977;Johnson, 1978), studies do suggest that some social roles may be important in the development of teasing. For example, sex, age, social status, marital and group membership have been variously reported as related to the content and roles involved in joking and teasing (Bradney, 1957;Handleman & Kapferer, 1972;Lundberg, I 969, Sykes, 1966;Traylor, I 973).…”

The Pragmatics of Rude Jokes with Grandad: Joking Relationships in Aboriginal Australia

“…A great deal of the literature on joking relationships is based on African examples (Rigby 1968;Freedman 1977;Stevens 1978;Wegru 2001), and debate has centred on the theory of joking relationships as a social mechanism for the dissipation of underlying hostility between groups or individuals who are said to be in social relationships of simultaneous conjunction and disjunction. This view is largely the result of the work of Radcliffe-Brown (1924, 1940, 1949 who, surprisingly, does not mention joking relationships in Aboriginal Australia, let alone apply his theory to the place of joking relationships in Aboriginal kinship systems.…”