Humorous Self Disclosures as Resistance to Socially Imposed Gender Roles
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/genl.v4i1.73Keywords:
Humour, Self-disclosure, Relational Identity, Social Conversation, Gender RolesAbstract
Th is article examines the function of humorous Self Disclosures (SD) as a pragmatic means for women to grapple with their possible identities in modern society. In analyzing instances of SD, made freely in ordinary conversation and which place the speaker in a vulnerable position, we aim to observe identity stances situated between the personal and the social. The data show how humorous self disclosures co-constructed in talk-in-interaction build a shared history and display this history to others in talk. Th rough this sort of conversational exchange, female interlocutors develop relational (fluid) identities within particular constellations of interaction. Th e humorous frame through which the SDs are realized allows for resistance and exploration of roles imposed by the larger society, in particular gender roles. While, in the observed interactions, participants question hegemonic views of women as passive and victims, they also disclose contradictory practices questioning these women’s commitment to that resistance. Data for this study derive from two groups of professional women in distinct speech communities and languages.
References
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Katriel, Tamar (1987) ‘I know something that you don’t know’: Secret-sharing as a social form among Israeli children. Working Papers in Educational Linguistics 3(2). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania.
Keltner, Dacher and Capps, Lisa (2001) Just teasing: A conceptual analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin 127(2): 229–248.
Lampert, Martin and Ervin-Tripp, Susan (2006) Risky laughter: Teasing and self-directed joking among male and female friends. Journal of Pragmatics 38: 51–72.
Matsumoto, Yoshiko (2007) Conversational contexts of self-disclosure humor. Paper presented at the International Pragmatics Association Conference. Goteborg, Sweden.
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Rubin, Lillian (1983) Intimate Strangers. New York: Harper and Row.
Schnurr, Stephanie and Holmes, Janet (2007) Humour and masculinity at work. Paper presented at the International Pragmatics Association Conference. Goteborg, Sweden.
Schiffrin, Deborah (1994) Approaches to Discourse. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
Scott, Karla D. (2000) Crossing cultural borders: ‘girl’ and ‘look’ as markers of identity in Black women’s language use. Discourse and Society 11(2): 237–248.
Takanashi, Hiroko (2007) Framing self-directed humor by Japanese women. Paper presented at the International Pragmatics Association Conference. Goteborg, Sweden.
Walters, Keith (1996) Gender, identity, and the political economy of language: Anglophone wives in Tunisia. Language in Society 25(4): 515–555.
Archer, Richard and Earle, Walter (1983) The interpersonal orientations of disclosure. In Paul Paulus (ed.) Basic Group Processes 289–314. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Benwell, Bethan and Stokoe, Elizabeth (2006) Discourse and Identity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd.
Boxer, Diana and Gritsenko, Elena (2005) Women and surnames across cultures: Reconstituting identity in marriage. Women and Language 28(2).
Boxer, Diana (1993) Complaining and Commiserating: A Speech Act View of Solidarity in Spoken American English. New York: Peter Lang.
Boxer, Diana and Cortés-Conde, Florencia (1997) From bonding to biting: Conversational joking and identity display. Journal of Pragmatics 27: 275–294.
Bucholtz, Mary (1999) Bad examples: Transgression and progress in language and gender studies. In Mary Bucholtz, A. C. Liang, and Laurel Sutton (eds) Reinventing Identities: The Gendered Self in Discourse 3–24. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bucholtz, Mary and Hall, Kira (2004) Language and identity. In A. Duranti (ed.) A Companion to Linguistic Anthropology 369–394. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Chelune, Gordon (1987) A neuropsychological perspective of interpersonal communication. In V. J. Derlega and J. H. Berg (eds) Self Disclosure: Theory, Research, and Therapy. New York: Plenum.
Coates, Jennifer (1996) Women Talk: Conversations Between Women Friends. Oxford: Blackwell.
Derlega, Valerian and Grzelak, Janusz (1979) Appropriateness of self-disclosure. In G. J. Chelune (ed.) Self-Disclosure: Origins, Patterns, and Implications of Openness in Interpersonal Relationships. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Dindia, Kathryn and Allen, Mike (1992) Sex differences in self-disclosure: A metaanalysis. Psychological Bulletin 112(1): 106–124.
Ervin-Tripp, Susan (2001) The place of gender in developmental pragmatics: Cultural factors. Research on Language and Social Interaction 34(1): 131–147.
Ervin-Tripp, Susan and Lampert, Martin (1992) Gender differences in the construction of humorous talk. In K. Hall, M. Bucholtz and B. Moonwoman (eds) Locating Power 10–117. Berkeley: Berkeley Women and Language Group.
Ervin-Tripp, Susan and Lampert, Martin (2007) Conversational contexts of self-disclosure Humour. Paper presented at the International Pragmatics Association Conference. Goteborg, Sweden.
Ervin-Tripp, Susan, Lampert, Martin, Escalera, Elena and Reyes, Iliana (2004) ‘It was a hecka funny’: Some features of children’s conversational development. Texas Linguistic Forum 48: 1–16.
Goodwin, Marjorie (1990) ‘He Said – She said’: Talk as Social Organization Among Black Children. Oxford: Blackwell.
Holmes, Janet (1997) Women, language and identity. Journal of Sociolinguistics 1(2): 195–223.
Katriel, Tamar (1987) ‘I know something that you don’t know’: Secret-sharing as a social form among Israeli children. Working Papers in Educational Linguistics 3(2). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania.
Keltner, Dacher and Capps, Lisa (2001) Just teasing: A conceptual analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin 127(2): 229–248.
Lampert, Martin and Ervin-Tripp, Susan (2006) Risky laughter: Teasing and self-directed joking among male and female friends. Journal of Pragmatics 38: 51–72.
Matsumoto, Yoshiko (2007) Conversational contexts of self-disclosure humor. Paper presented at the International Pragmatics Association Conference. Goteborg, Sweden.
Mey, Jacob (2001) Pragmatics: An Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Ochs, Elinore and Capps, Lisa (2001) Living Narrative. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Rubin, Lillian (1983) Intimate Strangers. New York: Harper and Row.
Schnurr, Stephanie and Holmes, Janet (2007) Humour and masculinity at work. Paper presented at the International Pragmatics Association Conference. Goteborg, Sweden.
Schiffrin, Deborah (1994) Approaches to Discourse. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
Scott, Karla D. (2000) Crossing cultural borders: ‘girl’ and ‘look’ as markers of identity in Black women’s language use. Discourse and Society 11(2): 237–248.
Takanashi, Hiroko (2007) Framing self-directed humor by Japanese women. Paper presented at the International Pragmatics Association Conference. Goteborg, Sweden.
Walters, Keith (1996) Gender, identity, and the political economy of language: Anglophone wives in Tunisia. Language in Society 25(4): 515–555.
Published
2010-11-16
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Cortés-Conde, F., & Boxer, D. (2010). Humorous Self Disclosures as Resistance to Socially Imposed Gender Roles. Gender and Language, 4(1), 73-97. https://doi.org/10.1558/genl.v4i1.73
