Humor, Anthropology of

Abstract

The capacity to joke and perceive something as humorous is universal. However, what is held to be funny is relative. In most societies, there is a distinction between the diffuse humor of the common people and the institutionalized humor by experts at specific times and places. Humor ranges from mild joking to biting satire. Worldwide topics relate to the boundaries between nature and culture, self and other. Many jokes deal with commonly experienced ambiguities, dilemmas, and paradoxes. Functions of humor include entertainment, release of tension, cultural critique, and the marking of group boundaries. This article reviews some forms, domains, and functions of humor.