The Study of Laughter

Have you ever thought about why humans laugh? Is it to ease those all too tense, serious moments in life? What exactly would one uncover in the study of laughter? I have some theories, but here are a few jokes that will get you warmed up to thinking about why:

Did you hear about why the cross-eyed school teacher got fired? They said, “She could not control her pupils.” Ha, Ha!

How about this one: “Why did the guy from the orange juice factory get fired”? They said, “He could not concentrate.” Get it!

Try this one: “The teacher said to Jimmy. Jimmy this is the fifth day this week that you’ve been in detention. What do you have to say for yourself? Jimmy said, “I’m glad tomorrow is Saturday.”

And one more, “What did the ocean say to the boat?” Nothing, it just waved.”

Well, that last one might be a bit cheesy. The above three jokes I heard in passing a few weeks ago from a pastor at church who likes to crack jokes during sermons. The one about the ocean was from the inside of a laffy-taffy candy paper. 

It has been said teachers who invoke humor represent one type of educator who can get students to better remember what they learn (Willingham, 2009, p. 50) For me, laughter hit on that same area the other day. I heard the Government Documents librarian laugh and I said to some students, “Now that’s what missing in the classroom.”

Within these examples one point that can be made is laughter carries a message in connection with many things beyond the comical.

This point is discussed in the work on the right titled, “Inside Jokes: Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind.” It has a comprehensive chapter listing of the connection of humor to such things as, learning, beliefs, emotions, relationships, mastering our minds, and more. Perhaps, this will help answer some questions about humor and laughter that I posed at the beginning of this entry. Laughing is such a unique reaction by the human body. One just might discover in the study of it, that laughter does in fact go a long way.

In-Text Reference

Willingham, D. T. (2009) Why Don’t Students Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom. San Franciso, CA: Jossey-Bass

“Lies My Teacher Told Me”

[This post highlights the book pictured to the right: "Lies my teacher told me" by James W. Loewen. It is available in the Ekstrom Library at this call number: E175.85.L64, 3rd floor]

Have you ever been sitting in class listening to the teacher and thought to yourself, “This is total nonsense”? Perhaps you read through a textbook and wondered, “Am I really being told the whole story”? Then again, maybe that common historical event was discussed in such a way that the context was completely ignored.

Take for instance the actions of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Lincoln was a great man of intellect and leadership. Known for his connections with such documents as the “Emancipation Proclamation” and the “Gettysburg Address“. Throughout my middle and high school history classes the textbooks covering him could be summarized based on one action: Lincoln freed the slaves. End of story. But was it? At the time, for me, yes it was. My adolescent brain had not developed enough to ask the question, why? Why did Lincoln free the slaves? Was it so much about his believing whole-heartedly that suppressing the humanity of African Americans was inherently wrong and unjust? The list can go on.

However, it was not until a very focused study of the Civil War as an undergraduate student in several history classes where works like James M. McPherson’s, “Battle cry of freedom” and others were the required reads, that new insight was provided into the question of why Lincoln freed the slaves. The freedom was attached to Lincoln doing what was necessary to save the Union. The Confederate army relied upon slave labor for such things as, building forts and helping with medical situations. This labor was of particular importance to key in on by the Union army when the Confederate manpower began to wane near the end of the war and slave labor was necessary for sustenance. Freeing the slaves in the end was about utilizing the best strategic plan that would be successful to break the Confederate resolve in order to preserve the Union—The United States of America.

There is more that can be said here, but maybe this short highlight will inspire you to take up further study.

The Civil War is a fascinating history with many subplots; it is one of the reasons why being a history major was enjoyable. The above point was made not to take anything away from Abraham Lincoln. It is only to say how important seeing things in the entire context can be in providing you with increased understanding into answering the questions of why. We can also derive insight into the psyche and behaviors of people in decision-making positions during these historical events.

Therefore, whether or not these are actual lies teachers (or some books) have told, this book is an opportunity for you to be critical and move beyond the surface value of how these topics are presented in class.