Post-socialist jokelore: Preliminary findings and further research suggestions

Laineste, Liisi (2009) Post-socialist jokelore: Preliminary findings and further research suggestions. Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 54 (1). pp. 31-45. ISSN 1216-9803

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Abstract

Humour is a cultural phenomenon situated at the juncture of societal changes, being most actively present at the spot where the sharpest transitions in value systems take place. Both universally and in the present context of the expanding European Union, it has functioned as an indicator of conflict, transformation and/or assimilation. Now is the perfect time to analyse post-socialist jokelore in Eastern and Central Europe and to compare the results to the jokes of the well-established democracies of Western Europe. Describing the amount and content of political, ethnic and other jokes, their dynamics through the last decade, and viewing the results in a historical perspective will throw light on the issues of self-identification and self-positioning and also complement the best-known theories of ethnic humour with regard to choice of targets, the asymmetricality of joking relationships, etc. The article will propose a model for a post-socialist humour research project, pointing to areas that need further research, and present some preliminary research findings. In the next step of the research project we will be engaging humour scholars from other post-socialist countries to share ideas and expertise, forming a generalised picture of the features of post-socialist humour.

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