Humour in Asian Cultures

Humour in Asian Cultures

Author: Jessica Milner Davis

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-06-30

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 1000591778

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This innovative book traces the impact of tradition on modern humour across several Asian countries and their cultures. Using examples from Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Chinese cultures in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the contributors explore the different cultural rules for creating and sharing humour. Humour can be a powerful lubricant when correctly interpreted; mis-interpreted, it is likely to cause considerable setbacks. Over time, it has emerged and submerged in different periods and different forms in all these countries but today’s conventions still reflect traditional attitudes to and assumptions about what is appropriate in creating and using humour. Under close examination, Milner Davis and her colleagues show how forms and conventions that differ from those in the west can also be seen to possess elements in common. With examples including Mencian and other classical texts, Balinese traditional verbal humour, Korean and Taiwanese workplace humour, Japanese laughter ceremonies, performances and cartoons, as well as contemporary Chinese-language films and videos, they engage with a wide range of forms and traditions. This fascinating collection of studies will be of great interest to students and scholars of many Asian cultures, and also to those with a broader interest in humour studies. It highlights the increasing importance of understanding a wider range of cultural values in the present era of globalized communication and the importance of reliable studies of why and how cultures that are geographically related differ in their traditional uses of and assumptions about humour.


Book Synopsis Humour in Asian Cultures by : Jessica Milner Davis

Download or read book Humour in Asian Cultures written by Jessica Milner Davis and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-06-30 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This innovative book traces the impact of tradition on modern humour across several Asian countries and their cultures. Using examples from Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Chinese cultures in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the contributors explore the different cultural rules for creating and sharing humour. Humour can be a powerful lubricant when correctly interpreted; mis-interpreted, it is likely to cause considerable setbacks. Over time, it has emerged and submerged in different periods and different forms in all these countries but today’s conventions still reflect traditional attitudes to and assumptions about what is appropriate in creating and using humour. Under close examination, Milner Davis and her colleagues show how forms and conventions that differ from those in the west can also be seen to possess elements in common. With examples including Mencian and other classical texts, Balinese traditional verbal humour, Korean and Taiwanese workplace humour, Japanese laughter ceremonies, performances and cartoons, as well as contemporary Chinese-language films and videos, they engage with a wide range of forms and traditions. This fascinating collection of studies will be of great interest to students and scholars of many Asian cultures, and also to those with a broader interest in humour studies. It highlights the increasing importance of understanding a wider range of cultural values in the present era of globalized communication and the importance of reliable studies of why and how cultures that are geographically related differ in their traditional uses of and assumptions about humour.


Humour in Chinese Life and Culture

Humour in Chinese Life and Culture

Author: Jessica Davis Milner

Publisher: Hong Kong University Press

Published: 2013-06-01

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13: 9888139231

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This book investigates the use of humor in the public sphere and in personal life in China. The contributors cover modern and contemporary forms -- comic films and novels, cartooning, pop-songs, internet jokes, and humor in advertising and education. The second of two multidisciplinary volumes designed for the general reader as well as academic audiences, the book explores the relationship between political control and popular expression of humor, including the mutual exchange of comic stereotypes between China and Japan, and draws out important methodological implications for psychological and cross-cultural studies of humor.


Book Synopsis Humour in Chinese Life and Culture by : Jessica Davis Milner

Download or read book Humour in Chinese Life and Culture written by Jessica Davis Milner and published by Hong Kong University Press. This book was released on 2013-06-01 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the use of humor in the public sphere and in personal life in China. The contributors cover modern and contemporary forms -- comic films and novels, cartooning, pop-songs, internet jokes, and humor in advertising and education. The second of two multidisciplinary volumes designed for the general reader as well as academic audiences, the book explores the relationship between political control and popular expression of humor, including the mutual exchange of comic stereotypes between China and Japan, and draws out important methodological implications for psychological and cross-cultural studies of humor.


Illustrating Asia

Illustrating Asia

Author: John A. Lent

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2001-11-30

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 9780824824716

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Illustrations used for story-telling and mirth-making have enlivened Asian walls, scrolls, books, public and private places, and artifacts for millennia. Often playful and humorous, Asian pictorial stories lent conspicuous elements to contemporary comic art, particularly with their use of narrative nuance, humor, satire, and dialogue. Illustrating Asia is a fascinating book on a subject that is of wide and topical interest. All of the articles consider cartoon and/or comic art in the historical and social setting of seven South, Southeast, and East Asian countries: India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China, and Japan. The contributors treat comic and narrative art—including comic books, comic strips, picture books, and humor and fan magazines—in both historical and socio-cultural perspectives, as well as portrayals of ancient Chinese philosophy, gender, and the enemy in cartoons and comics. Contributors: Laine Berman, John A. Lent, Fusami Ogi, Rei Okamoto, Ronald Provencher, Aruna Rao, Kuiyi Shen, Shimizu Isao, Shu-chu Wei, Yingjin Zhang.


Book Synopsis Illustrating Asia by : John A. Lent

Download or read book Illustrating Asia written by John A. Lent and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2001-11-30 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Illustrations used for story-telling and mirth-making have enlivened Asian walls, scrolls, books, public and private places, and artifacts for millennia. Often playful and humorous, Asian pictorial stories lent conspicuous elements to contemporary comic art, particularly with their use of narrative nuance, humor, satire, and dialogue. Illustrating Asia is a fascinating book on a subject that is of wide and topical interest. All of the articles consider cartoon and/or comic art in the historical and social setting of seven South, Southeast, and East Asian countries: India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China, and Japan. The contributors treat comic and narrative art—including comic books, comic strips, picture books, and humor and fan magazines—in both historical and socio-cultural perspectives, as well as portrayals of ancient Chinese philosophy, gender, and the enemy in cartoons and comics. Contributors: Laine Berman, John A. Lent, Fusami Ogi, Rei Okamoto, Ronald Provencher, Aruna Rao, Kuiyi Shen, Shimizu Isao, Shu-chu Wei, Yingjin Zhang.


Humour in Chinese Life and Letters

Humour in Chinese Life and Letters

Author: Jessica Milner Davis

Publisher: Hong Kong University Press

Published: 2011-12-01

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 9888083511

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The present study emphasizes Chapter Six of Huai-nan Tzu in expounding the theory of kan-ying STIMULUS-RESPONSE; RESONANCE, which postulates that all things in the universe are interrelated and influence each other according to pre-set patterns.


Book Synopsis Humour in Chinese Life and Letters by : Jessica Milner Davis

Download or read book Humour in Chinese Life and Letters written by Jessica Milner Davis and published by Hong Kong University Press. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present study emphasizes Chapter Six of Huai-nan Tzu in expounding the theory of kan-ying STIMULUS-RESPONSE; RESONANCE, which postulates that all things in the universe are interrelated and influence each other according to pre-set patterns.


Humour and the Performance of Power in South Asia

Humour and the Performance of Power in South Asia

Author: Sasanka Perera

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-01-25

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 1000535401

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This book critically examines the role and politics of humour and the performance of power in South Asia. What does humour do and how does it manifest when lived political circumstances experience ruptures or instability? Can humour that emerges in such circumstances be viewed as a specific narrative on the nature of democracy in the region? Drawing upon essays from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, this volume discusses many crucial historical and contemporary themes, including dance-drama performances in northern India; caste and stand-up comedy in India; cartoon narratives of citizens’ anxieties; civic participation through social media memes in Sri Lanka; media, politics and humorous public in Bangladesh; the politics of performance in India; and the influence of humour and satire as political commentaries. The volume explores the impact of humour in South Asian folklore, ritual performances, media and journalism, and online technologies. This topical and interdisciplinary book will be essential for scholars and researchers of cultural studies, political science, sociology and social anthropology, media and communication studies, theatre and performance studies, and South Asian studies.


Book Synopsis Humour and the Performance of Power in South Asia by : Sasanka Perera

Download or read book Humour and the Performance of Power in South Asia written by Sasanka Perera and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-01-25 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book critically examines the role and politics of humour and the performance of power in South Asia. What does humour do and how does it manifest when lived political circumstances experience ruptures or instability? Can humour that emerges in such circumstances be viewed as a specific narrative on the nature of democracy in the region? Drawing upon essays from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, this volume discusses many crucial historical and contemporary themes, including dance-drama performances in northern India; caste and stand-up comedy in India; cartoon narratives of citizens’ anxieties; civic participation through social media memes in Sri Lanka; media, politics and humorous public in Bangladesh; the politics of performance in India; and the influence of humour and satire as political commentaries. The volume explores the impact of humour in South Asian folklore, ritual performances, media and journalism, and online technologies. This topical and interdisciplinary book will be essential for scholars and researchers of cultural studies, political science, sociology and social anthropology, media and communication studies, theatre and performance studies, and South Asian studies.


Rewriting Humour in Comic Books

Rewriting Humour in Comic Books

Author: Dimitris Asimakoulas

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-06-26

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 3030195279

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This book examines comic book adaptations of Aristophanes’ plays in order to shed light on how and why humour travels across cultures and time. Forging links between modern languages, translation and the study of comics, it analyses the Greek originals and their English translations and offers a unique, language-led research agenda for cultural flows, and the systematic analysis of textual norms in a multimodal environment. It will appeal to students and scholars of Modern Languages, Translation Studies, Comics Studies, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature.


Book Synopsis Rewriting Humour in Comic Books by : Dimitris Asimakoulas

Download or read book Rewriting Humour in Comic Books written by Dimitris Asimakoulas and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-26 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines comic book adaptations of Aristophanes’ plays in order to shed light on how and why humour travels across cultures and time. Forging links between modern languages, translation and the study of comics, it analyses the Greek originals and their English translations and offers a unique, language-led research agenda for cultural flows, and the systematic analysis of textual norms in a multimodal environment. It will appeal to students and scholars of Modern Languages, Translation Studies, Comics Studies, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature.


The Age of Irreverence

The Age of Irreverence

Author: Christopher Rea

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2015-09-08

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 0520283848

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The Age of Irreverence tells the story of why ChinaÕs entry into the modern age was not just traumatic, but uproarious. As the Qing dynasty slumped toward extinction, prominent writers compiled jokes into collections they called Òhistories of laughter.Ó In the first years of the Republic, novelists, essayists and illustrators alike used humorous allegories to make veiled critiques of the new government. But, again and again, political and cultural discussion erupted into invective, as critics gleefully jeered and derided rivals in public. Farceurs drew followings in the popular press, promoting a culture of practical joking and buffoonery. Eventually, these various expressions of hilarity proved so offensive to high-brow writers that they launched a concerted campaign to transform the tone of public discourse, hoping to displace the old forms of mirth with a new one they called youmo (humor). Christopher Rea argues that this periodÑfrom the 1890s to the 1930sÑtransformed how Chinese people thought and talked about what is funny. Focusing on five cultural expressions of laughterÑjokes, play, mockery, farce, and humorÑhe reveals the textures of comedy that were a part of everyday life during modern ChinaÕs first Òage of irreverence.Ó This new history of laughter not only offers an unprecedented and up-close look at a neglected facet of Chinese cultural modernity, but also reveals its lasting legacy in the Chinese language of the comic today and its implications for our understanding of humor as a part of human culture.


Book Synopsis The Age of Irreverence by : Christopher Rea

Download or read book The Age of Irreverence written by Christopher Rea and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2015-09-08 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Age of Irreverence tells the story of why ChinaÕs entry into the modern age was not just traumatic, but uproarious. As the Qing dynasty slumped toward extinction, prominent writers compiled jokes into collections they called Òhistories of laughter.Ó In the first years of the Republic, novelists, essayists and illustrators alike used humorous allegories to make veiled critiques of the new government. But, again and again, political and cultural discussion erupted into invective, as critics gleefully jeered and derided rivals in public. Farceurs drew followings in the popular press, promoting a culture of practical joking and buffoonery. Eventually, these various expressions of hilarity proved so offensive to high-brow writers that they launched a concerted campaign to transform the tone of public discourse, hoping to displace the old forms of mirth with a new one they called youmo (humor). Christopher Rea argues that this periodÑfrom the 1890s to the 1930sÑtransformed how Chinese people thought and talked about what is funny. Focusing on five cultural expressions of laughterÑjokes, play, mockery, farce, and humorÑhe reveals the textures of comedy that were a part of everyday life during modern ChinaÕs first Òage of irreverence.Ó This new history of laughter not only offers an unprecedented and up-close look at a neglected facet of Chinese cultural modernity, but also reveals its lasting legacy in the Chinese language of the comic today and its implications for our understanding of humor as a part of human culture.


Humor and Chinese Culture

Humor and Chinese Culture

Author: Xiaodong Yue

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-20

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 1315412438

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This book addresses psychological studies of humour in Chinese societies. It starts by reviewing how the concept of humour evolves in Chinese history, and how it is perceived by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism respectively. It then compares differences in the Western and the Chinese perceptions of humor and discusses empirical studies that were conducted to examine such differences. It also discusses the cultural origin and empirical evidence of the Chinese ambivalence about humor and presents empirical findings that illustrate its existence. Having done these, it proceeds to discuss psychological studies that examine how humour is related to various demographic, dispositional variables as well as how humour is related to creativity in Chinese societies. It also discusses how humour is related to emotional expressions and mental health in Chinese society as well. It concludes with a discussion on how workplace humor is reflected and developed in Chinese contexts. Taken together, this book attempts to bring together the theoretical propositions, empirical studies, and cultural analyses of humor in Chinese societies.


Book Synopsis Humor and Chinese Culture by : Xiaodong Yue

Download or read book Humor and Chinese Culture written by Xiaodong Yue and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-20 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses psychological studies of humour in Chinese societies. It starts by reviewing how the concept of humour evolves in Chinese history, and how it is perceived by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism respectively. It then compares differences in the Western and the Chinese perceptions of humor and discusses empirical studies that were conducted to examine such differences. It also discusses the cultural origin and empirical evidence of the Chinese ambivalence about humor and presents empirical findings that illustrate its existence. Having done these, it proceeds to discuss psychological studies that examine how humour is related to various demographic, dispositional variables as well as how humour is related to creativity in Chinese societies. It also discusses how humour is related to emotional expressions and mental health in Chinese society as well. It concludes with a discussion on how workplace humor is reflected and developed in Chinese contexts. Taken together, this book attempts to bring together the theoretical propositions, empirical studies, and cultural analyses of humor in Chinese societies.


Laughter and Ridicule

Laughter and Ridicule

Author: Michael Billig

Publisher: SAGE

Published: 2005-10-03

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 9781412911436

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From Thomas Hobbes' fear of the power of laughter to the compulsory, packaged "fun" of the contemporary mass media, Billig takes the reader on a stimulating tour of the strange world of humour. Both a significant work of scholarship and a novel contribution to the understanding of the humourous, this is a seriously engaging book' - David Inglis, University of Aberdeen This delightful book tackles the prevailing assumption that laughter and humour are inherently good. In developing a critique of humour the author proposes a social theory that places humour - in the form of ridicule - as central to social life. Billig argues that all cultures use ridicule as a disciplinary means to uphold norms of conduct and conventions of meaning. Historically, theories of humour reflect wider visions of politics, morality and aesthetics. For example, Bergson argued that humour contains an element of cruelty while Freud suggested that we deceive ourselves about the true nature of our laughter. Billig discusses these and other theories, while using the topic of humour to throw light on the perennial social problems of regulation, control and emancipation.


Book Synopsis Laughter and Ridicule by : Michael Billig

Download or read book Laughter and Ridicule written by Michael Billig and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2005-10-03 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Thomas Hobbes' fear of the power of laughter to the compulsory, packaged "fun" of the contemporary mass media, Billig takes the reader on a stimulating tour of the strange world of humour. Both a significant work of scholarship and a novel contribution to the understanding of the humourous, this is a seriously engaging book' - David Inglis, University of Aberdeen This delightful book tackles the prevailing assumption that laughter and humour are inherently good. In developing a critique of humour the author proposes a social theory that places humour - in the form of ridicule - as central to social life. Billig argues that all cultures use ridicule as a disciplinary means to uphold norms of conduct and conventions of meaning. Historically, theories of humour reflect wider visions of politics, morality and aesthetics. For example, Bergson argued that humour contains an element of cruelty while Freud suggested that we deceive ourselves about the true nature of our laughter. Billig discusses these and other theories, while using the topic of humour to throw light on the perennial social problems of regulation, control and emancipation.


Hybrid Humour

Hybrid Humour

Author: R. Graeme Dunphy

Publisher: Rodopi

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 9042028238

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Graeme Dunphy is lecturer in English at Regensburg University, Germany. His interests include Scotland, Germany, the Netherlands, Literature, Medieval Studies, Historical Linguistics, and Migration Studies. He has published widely on Medieval and Baroque Literature as well as on migrant literature. Rainer Emig is professor of English Literature and Culture at Leibniz University Hanover, Germany. His main interests are English Literature and Culture of the 19th and 20th century, contemporary culture, and Literary and Cultural Theories, including postcolonial approaches and Gender Studies.


Book Synopsis Hybrid Humour by : R. Graeme Dunphy

Download or read book Hybrid Humour written by R. Graeme Dunphy and published by Rodopi. This book was released on 2010 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Graeme Dunphy is lecturer in English at Regensburg University, Germany. His interests include Scotland, Germany, the Netherlands, Literature, Medieval Studies, Historical Linguistics, and Migration Studies. He has published widely on Medieval and Baroque Literature as well as on migrant literature. Rainer Emig is professor of English Literature and Culture at Leibniz University Hanover, Germany. His main interests are English Literature and Culture of the 19th and 20th century, contemporary culture, and Literary and Cultural Theories, including postcolonial approaches and Gender Studies.