L’étude des romans et des recueils de récits publiés par Stefano Benni entre 1976 et 2009 a pour but d’illustrer la poétique de cet écrivain à travers l’analyse des éléments thématiques, stylistiques et philosophiques qui la composent. Dans la première partie les thèmes déclinent la valeur de la narration orale et des lieux de socialisation, l’exploration de mondes imaginaires et de leur richesses, la solitude de l’individu, l’enfance avec sa capacité d’imagination et la vieillesse avec sa capacité de mémoire. Le repérage thématique effectué dans la première partie a montré que la production de Benni n’est conçue qu’à l’intérieur du contexte social contemporain, qui est à l’origine d’un travail autour de la parole et de sa signification. Cette partie de la recherche a été indispensable pour identifier les étapes motivationnelles qui déclenchent chez Benni la naissance du texte. L’identification du pouvoir cognitif que Benni reconnaît à la littérature a conduit à étudier, dans la troisième partie, l’arrière-plan philosophique dont s’inspirent la poétique et la vision du monde de Benni. Le processus de la création littéraire chez Benni part de l’observation du réel pour ensuite migrer vers une transfiguration humoristique en laquelle l’écrivain transpose aussi la tension qui s’engendre entre le sentiment individuel conditionné par les faits et la description représentative des faits mêmes. L’écrivain humoriste active ainsi des mécanismes de prise de conscience, de fraternité dans l’angoisse, de confiance dans le changement. / This study of the narrative works by Stefano Benni published between 1976 and 2009 aims to illustrate his poetic style through the analysis of its thematic, stylistic and philosophic elements. Themes have been identified to reflect Benni’s values: the importance of oral communication and socialization, the power of imagination to explore new worlds and new solutions, the importance of human diversity in the contemporary society, childhood with its visionary capacity and old age with its memory. Benni’s body of work exists within a contemporary social context. To the reader this is evident on every page due to his careful choice of words and rhythm. All forms of his humor are examined in order to recognize it as the most representative language for the contemporary complexity. This part of the research was essential to identify the motivation behind Benni’s writings. The cognitive power associated with his literature led us to study Benni’s philosophic background and his vision of the world in the third section. The literary process enables the writer to juxtapose the tensions that exist between individual feelings and emotions with the events surrounding a given situation. In this way humor and imagination stimulate empathy, awareness and a faith in change.

Bibliography: pages 259-274. / In this thesis I examine the way in which Xhosa speakers create humour, what forms (e.g. satire, irony, punning, parody) they favour in both oral and textual literature, and the genres in which these forms are delivered and executed. The functions of Xhosa humour, both during and after apartheid, are examined, as is its role in challenging, contesting and reaffirming traditional notions of society and culture. The particular techniques Xhosa comedians and comic writers use in order to elicit humour are explored with specific reference to the way in which the phonological complexity of this language is exploited for humorous effect. Oral literature sources include collections of praise poems, folktales and proverbs, while anecdotal humour is drawn from recent interviews conducted with domestic workers. My analysis of humour in literary texts initially focuses on the classic works of G.B. Sinxo and S.M. Burns-Ncamashe, and then goes on to refer to contemporary works such as those of P.T. Mtuze. The study on the techniques of Xhosa humour uses as its theoretical base Walter Nash's The language of humour (1985), while that on the functions of Xhosa humour owes much to the work of sociologists such as Michael Mulkay and Chris Powell and George E.C. Paton. The study reveals the fact that Xhosa oral humour is personal and playful - at times obscene - but can also be critical. In texts it explores the comedy of characters as well as the irony of socio-political realities. In both oral and textual discourses the phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics of Xhosa are exploited to create a humour which is richly patterned and finely crafted. In South Africa humour often served to liberate people from the oppressive atmosphere of apartheid. At the same time humour has always had a stabilizing role in Xhosa cultural life, providing a means of controlling deviants and misfits.

The aim of the present study is to explore humour in English language education further by investigating three Swedish upper-secondary teachers’ experiences of and attitudes towards humour in an L2 language classroom, and what types of humour are used, if any, in these teachers’ lessons. The data is collected qualitatively through three observations and three interviews. The result shows that the three teachers’ attitudes towards humour are mainly positive. However, they also discuss the challenges that come with the uses of humour. During the observations, humour is seen in different contexts and teachers and students use different types of humour. From the interviews, the teachers’ experiences show that humour often affects the students positively. For instance, the students feel more relaxed and comfortable in the classroom, and they are happier, which might increase their motivation to learn a second language. In addition, one of the guidelines in the Swedish curriculum to teach English as a second language is to prepare the students to develop their ability, desire, and confidence to use their second language in different contexts and situations (Skolverket, 2011). The humorous context is one example of such different kinds of “situations” and “contexts,” where the students get to develop their ability to use the language.

In humour studies research, there have been few attempts to elucidate why black humour was such a prevalent, powerful force in late twentieth century culture and why it continues to make a profound impression in the new millennium. As Dana Polan (1991) laments: ???Rarely have there been attempts to offer material, historically specific explanations of particular manifestations of the comic???.1 This thesis offers an interdisciplinary analysis of black humour in the late twentieth century. I contend that the experience of black humour emerges from the intricacies of human beliefs and behaviours surrounding death and through the diverse rituals that shape experiences of loss. I suggest that black humour is an attempt to articulate the tension between the haunting absence and disturbing presence of death in contemporary society. Chapter 1 of this thesis offers an historical and etymological perspective on black humour. In Chapter 2, I argue that the increasing privatisation and medicalisation of death, along with the overt mediatisation of death, creates a problematic juxtaposition. I contend that these unique social conditions created, and continue to foster, an ideal environment for the creation and proliferation of black humour. In Chapters 3 and 4, I examine the structures and functions of black humour through three key theories of humour: incongruity, catharsis and superiority. Chapter 5 looks at ways in which the experience of black humour creates resolutions and forces dissonances for people entwined with loss. In this final chapter, I also consider how black humour may help people make meaning from issues surrounding death. Throughout this theoretical discussion, I interweave the analysis of a range of scenes from contemporary black comic texts (i.e. plays, screenplays and television scripts). On the whole, this thesis works towards a more complex, specific understanding of the phenomenon of black humour within a social context.

In humour studies research, there have been few attempts to elucidate why black humour was such a prevalent, powerful force in late twentieth century culture and why it continues to make a profound impression in the new millennium. As Dana Polan (1991) laments: ???Rarely have there been attempts to offer material, historically specific explanations of particular manifestations of the comic???.1 This thesis offers an interdisciplinary analysis of black humour in the late twentieth century. I contend that the experience of black humour emerges from the intricacies of human beliefs and behaviours surrounding death and through the diverse rituals that shape experiences of loss. I suggest that black humour is an attempt to articulate the tension between the haunting absence and disturbing presence of death in contemporary society. Chapter 1 of this thesis offers an historical and etymological perspective on black humour. In Chapter 2, I argue that the increasing privatisation and medicalisation of death, along with the overt mediatisation of death, creates a problematic juxtaposition. I contend that these unique social conditions created, and continue to foster, an ideal environment for the creation and proliferation of black humour. In Chapters 3 and 4, I examine the structures and functions of black humour through three key theories of humour: incongruity, catharsis and superiority. Chapter 5 looks at ways in which the experience of black humour creates resolutions and forces dissonances for people entwined with loss. In this final chapter, I also consider how black humour may help people make meaning from issues surrounding death. Throughout this theoretical discussion, I interweave the analysis of a range of scenes from contemporary black comic texts (i.e. plays, screenplays and television scripts). On the whole, this thesis works towards a more complex, specific understanding of the phenomenon of black humour within a social context.

Québec Université Laval, Bibliothèque 2013

Malgré l'intérêt grandissant pour l'étude de la psychologie de l'humour, le phénomène spécifique de l'humour en psychothérapie demeure peu étudié en recherche et peu abordé dans la formation des cliniciens. Les rares auteurs s'étant penchés sur le sujet, généralement via des études de cas, rapportent la controverse entourant son utilisation en contexte clinique : malgré les nombreux bénéfices thérapeutiques qu'on lui attribue, certains risques et préjudices potentiels sont aussi soulevés. À l'heure actuelle, aucune étude n'a été réalisée au sujet de la perception et de la pratique des psychologues du Québec en lien avec l'humour en psychothérapie. Les connaissances sur la disponibilité et la nature de la formation reçue par les praticiens sur le sujet sont aussi absentes. La présente étude a pour objectif d'obtenir un portrait de la formation, de la perception et de l'utilisation de l'humour en psychothérapie par les psychologues québécois. Il est espéré pouvoir proposer des orientations à prioriser pour les recherches futures et pour la formation professionnelle. L'échantillon est composé de 325 psychologues québécois. L'outil de collecte de données est un questionnaire auto-administré qui a été développé spécifiquement pour le présent projet. Il est composé de questions à choix multiples et de questions ouvertes ayant permis l'obtention de données de nature quantitatives et qualitatives. Au niveau quantitatif, des analyses descriptives, corrélationnelles et comparatives ont été réalisées. Quant aux données qualitatives, l'analyse des données a été réalisée sous forme d'analyse thématique où une importance particulière était accordée à la fréquence d'occurrence de chaque code. Cela permet de connaître l'importance relative de certaines opinions au sein de l'échantillon. De façon générale, les résultats permettent de rencontrer les objectifs de recherche et, à l'instar des écrits publiés à ce jour, témoignent de points du vue diversifiés et parfois contradictoires. Les résultats aux analyses descriptives révèlent que les participants ont un faible niveau de connaissances théoriques et pratiques en ce qui concerne l'utilisation de l'humour en thérapie. Par ailleurs, ils mettent en relief une quasi-absence actuelle de formation sur le sujet. Quelques différences significatives sont obtenues aux analyses corrélationnelles et comparatives visant à vérifier l'effet potentiel de certaines variables sociodémographiques et professionnelles sur la perception et l'utilisation de l'humour. C'est en fonction de l'orientation thérapeutique que le plus de différences significatives sont obtenues entre les participants. Finalement, l'analyse qualitative des réponses à développement des participants met en lumière les clientèles avec lesquels il est jugé que l'humour peut s'avérer particulièrement utile ou risqué ainsi que les bénéfices et risques possibles que les participants associent à ce type d'intervention. Elle met aussi en relief la pertinence d'offrir aux psychologues une formation sur l'humour en thérapie et fournit des recommandations à cet effet. La présente étude constitue donc un premier pas dans l'obtention de connaissances sur la réalité des psychologues en lien avec l'humour en thérapie. La prise en compte de ces informations pourra orienter les recherches et les formations futures. Il est aussi visé que le développement des connaissances sur le sujet favorise une sensibilisation des praticiens à cette réalité et entraîne une amélioration des pratiques.

This research focuses on the study of Mexican comics and films from 1969 to 1976. It uses the language of humour to understand how these media expressed contemporary social and political concerns. After reviewing theories of humour and proposing an eclectic theory to analyse visual sources, three different comic books and four films were examined in order to gain an understanding of the issues that troubled the society at the time. This eclectic theory considered academic approaches from a variety of disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, linguistics, psychology, and others. The theory of humour proposed in this thesis can be used to study humorous visual expressions from other cultures and historical times. Thus, one of the novelties of this research is the proposal of an eclectic theory of humour to study visual culture. A second original contribution of this thesis is that it proposes an approach to social history through the analysis of two relevant cultural manifestations: humour and visual culture. This work also invites us to reflect on Mexican society during the presidency of Luis Echeverría Álvarez, as well as the circumstances of the mass media and the arts, both of which enjoyed some freedom in what was called the apertura democrática. Nevertheless, since some topics were still prickly and difficult, humour helped society discuss them, kept them on the social agenda, and acted as a safety valve to express the discomfort of the members of society. Finally, this thesis considers social manifestations, such as humour, as sources through which to study culture and history; it highlights the relevance of the cultural legacy of comics which have been considered as a sub-cultural product; and it shows how we can use films to discover something new about a specific time and social group.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.