Moral Dimensions of Humour: Essays on Humans, Heroes and Monsters

Authors

Benjamin Nickl, The University of Sydney; Mark Rolfe, The University of New South Wales; Anastasiya Fiadotava, Estonian Literary Museum; Anna-Sophie Jürgens, The Australian National University; Lucien Leon; Jessica Milner Davis, The University of Sydney; Robert Phiddian, Flinders University; M.W. Shores, The University of Sydney; Ron Stewart, Daito Bunka University; David Tscharke, The Australian National University; Will Visconti, The University of Sydney; Jacob Craig, The University of Sydney; Helen Wolfenden, Macquarie University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61201/tup.896

Keywords:

humour, political satire, morals, power structures, political activity, social norms, polarisation, digital media, social media, comics, caricatures, films, folklore, plays, marginalised groups, archetypes, stereotypies

Synopsis

This volume explores the concept of humour and its relationship with human behaviour. The interdisciplinary essays in this book cover a wide range of time, from the sixteenth century to the present day. They delve into various cultural contexts, challenging social norms and prompting readers to reflect on the ethical implications of humour. The collection highlights the varied metaphors of heroes and monsters in each case study, which are crucial to understanding the moral spectrum of human existence. These metaphors represent aspirational ideals and darker aspects of what it means to be human.

The book encourages readers to critically analyse the complexity of humorous objects and social practices in contexts like digital culture, mythical folklore, entertainment technology, or politics, recognising their interconnectedness with societal issues and emphasising that different settings might call for different interpretations.

Chapters

Book cover: a collage of human faces with two sets of horns and a superhero mask.

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Published

May 6, 2024

Categories

Copyright (c) 2024 the Authors

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Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Details about the available publication format: PDF

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ISBN-13 (15)

978-952-359-052-6