Sp440/540 Metaphor, Play, and
Humor: Humor
NH 42 Tuesday 12:00-2:00; on-line
L. David Ritchie, Professor cgrd@pdx.eduweb page: http://www.pdx.edu/user/~cgrd/.
Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 3:30-4:30 p.m., or by appointment.
Martin, Rod A. (2007). The psychology of humor: An integrative approach. Amsterdam: Elsevier. This is available from the PSU library in electronic form.
All other assigned readings are available through the library and on Blackboard.
Objectives and Format
This class is intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students with an interest in how meaning is constructed in conversation. The class will be primarily on Blackboard, with one two hour face-to-face meeting per week, led by graduate students.
Participation.
Full participation both on-line and in-class is expected of all students. Students who are unable to participate in the ftf class meetings may compensate by posting one additional (full-length) contribution to the on-line discussion.
Weekly abstract. (9% of the grade).
Each week, each student will write an abstract of the week’s reading assignment and e-mail it to me (at my regular e-mail account) no later than 8:00 a.m. Monday (earlier is fine); length 20-25 lines. Summarize the main point of the reading in your own words – do not merely quote or paraphrase the author. Use examples from your own experience to explain ideas from the reading. (Graduate students will post their abstracts on the discussion thread after the Tuesday ftf meeting.)
Discussion starter. Students will organize into teams for each week, to initiate the on-line discussion for that week, by posting a “discussion starter” no later than 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, and summarize questions and points that need to be clarified.
Weekly on-line postings. (16% of the grade) 2 or more; total length at least 25 lines per week. The first posting is due each Monday by 8:00 a.m. (Sunday at 8:00 a.m. for the discussion starters). It may consist of any combination of the following: Questions for discussion, application of the material in the week’s reading, discussion of how the reading connects with previous readings, and responses to other students’ postings and questions. Postings may address how the ideas presented in the current week’s reading assignment or in the face-to-face class discussions apply to everyday conversation, or how the material relates to concepts and theories learned in other classes, respond to a question from me or a question raised by another student, or introduce additional materials and ideas relevant to the week’s topic. You may also introduce material from your term project to seek other students’ ideas and interpretations. The second posting should be no later than 8:00 a.m. Saturday. To satisfy this assignment, postings must be relevant to the material covered in the course.
Term Paper
Every student will write a research paper, which will be due in stages. Students will obtain and analyze transcripts of a conversation that lasts at least an hour (but your analysis is likely to focus on a shorter segment). The conversation will take the form of a “peer group conversation,” and may be facilitated by a team of 2-4 students working together, within the instructor’s current research program (for which HSRRC permission has already been obtained). Students may also use a conversation they have previously recorded and transcribed for a different class. Otherwise, students will organize, facilitate, and record a conversation on one of the assigned topics during the first three weeks of class. The analysis should show how theories and concepts discussed in class apply to the conversation, and discuss issues of generalizability (for example, how typical is this conversation?) Where relevant, theories and concepts encountered in prior course work may also be referenced.
Overview (5%; due April 28). In 4-5 pages, describe the setting, the group (with false names to preserve anonymity), and the procedures. Give an overview of the conversation as a whole, and summarize the themes that appeared throughout. This will become the introduction to your term paper. This should be submitted along with a complete audio recording and the corrected transcripts of the conversation.
Analysis (10%; due May 12). In 8-12 pages, identify the principle humor themes, analyze how they achieved their effects, and discuss how they contributed to the progress of the conversation and to displaying and maintaining social relationships. This will form the body of your final paper.
Final Paper (15%; due June 2). Recommended length is 12-20 pages. Students may work on this project in teams of 2-4 students. Group papers are expected to be proportionately longer and more detailed than individual papers.
Oral Presentation (5%; in class during finals week).
Exams: There will be a mid-term (10%) and final exam (20%), both on-line.
Extensions and Incompletes: Due to an unusually heavy teaching load this quarter, I regret that I am unable to give make-up exams or incompletes, or accept late assignments. Please plan your work and allow for personal emergencies and unexpected hitches.
Important: A
note about plagiarism. Read
this!
It is expected that all written work, including on-line postings, will be in your own words. If you quote anybody, it must be in quotation marks with a clear citation – that applies to assigned readings, the course syllabus, everything. If you paraphrase any other person’s idea, or copy the format of another student’s posting, you must cite the source.
If I find material that was taken without proper citation from someone else’s writing in any assignment, I will automatically give a grade of zero on the assignment. There will be no chance to redo the assignment, and no negotiation. If in doubt, cite, and use quotation marks where needed. If there is anything about this policy that you do not understand, ask me!
Note also: when an assignment, quiz or test question asks you to explain a concept, you must explain it in your own words. Even if properly cited, a quotation or paraphrase of the textbook, my lectures, or any other material does not satisfy the assignment and will not receive credit. There will be no excuses, no exceptions, no discussion.Topics:
1. March 31 Introduction to class and to topic
2. April 7. Introduction to the study of humor.
Martin, Ch. 1, pp. 1-30. Introduction
3. April 14. Superiority theories
4. April 21. Incongruity theories
5. April 28. Cognitive theories
6. May 5. Social interaction theories
Martin, Ch. 5, pp. 113-152. Social psychology of humor.
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8. May 19. Irony in conversation
Norrick, 2003; Gibbs & Izett, 1995; Ritchie, 2005
9 May 26. Humor in the workplace
Holmes & Marra, 2002; Plester & Sayers, 2007; Terrion & Ashforth, 2002
10 June 2. Humor among friends and family members
Everts, 2003; Ritchie, 2008.
11. Final class meeting: Presentation of student projects (poster and oral summary).