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- Title
Comparing Same-Gender and Opposite-Gender Conversations: a Laughing Matter?
- Authors
Rieger, Caroline L.
- Abstract
While research in applied linguistics on gendered discourse usually focuses on differences in male or female communication, the qualitative analysis described in this article concentrates on similarities in men and women's communicative interaction. It shows that they both use laughter as communication in casual conversations with same- and opposite-gender addressees. Laughter is not used gender specific, and it does not exclusively occur as a response to jokes, funny stories, or the experience of humorous events. Alternatively, it serves various interactive functions in same-gender and opposite-gender encounters, such as expressing sociability, alignment or commonality with the addressee, politeness, or embarrassment. These are the interactive functions of laughter discussed here. They are, however, not the only communicative roles laughter does play.
- Subjects
GENDER in literature; LAUGHTER; APPLIED linguistics; MAN-woman communication; QUALITATIVE research; COMPARATIVE studies
- Publication
Amsterdamer Beiträge zur Neueren Germanistik, 2009, Vol 70, Issue 1, p355
- ISSN
0304-6257
- Publication type
Article