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Virgins, Terrorists, and Ten Children : Immigrants' Humorous Play with Ethnic Stereotypes in Bonding with Danes in the Workplace

Esholdt, Henriette Frees LU (2019) In Symbolic Interaction 42(4). p.691-716
Abstract

Drawing on fieldwork in a multi-ethnic workplace (an industrial kitchen in Denmark), this article explores immigrants' self-directed ethnic humor in collegial relationships with Danes as it spontaneously develops and plays out in everyday work settings. Approaching ethnic humor from a symbolic interactionist perspective rather than adopting the dominant conflict approach, this article emphasizes the bonding functions of ethnic humor. The article argues that immigrants' engagement in playful behavior with ethnic stereotypes in interactions with Danes is a form of “impression management” in which they defuse ethnic stereotypes and dissociate themselves from them by building joking relationships in the workplace with Danes. A video... (More)

Drawing on fieldwork in a multi-ethnic workplace (an industrial kitchen in Denmark), this article explores immigrants' self-directed ethnic humor in collegial relationships with Danes as it spontaneously develops and plays out in everyday work settings. Approaching ethnic humor from a symbolic interactionist perspective rather than adopting the dominant conflict approach, this article emphasizes the bonding functions of ethnic humor. The article argues that immigrants' engagement in playful behavior with ethnic stereotypes in interactions with Danes is a form of “impression management” in which they defuse ethnic stereotypes and dissociate themselves from them by building joking relationships in the workplace with Danes. A video abstract is available at https://tinyurl.com/esholdt.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ethnic humor, ethnic stereotype, impression management, joking relationship, spontaneous humor in interaction
in
Symbolic Interaction
volume
42
issue
4
pages
691 - 716
publisher
University of California Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85064510582
ISSN
0195-6086
DOI
10.1002/symb.426
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
60ba1b83-3138-412b-b79f-86d3d56f2707
date added to LUP
2019-05-07 08:43:44
date last changed
2022-04-25 23:07:11
@article{60ba1b83-3138-412b-b79f-86d3d56f2707,
  abstract     = {{<p>Drawing on fieldwork in a multi-ethnic workplace (an industrial kitchen in Denmark), this article explores immigrants' self-directed ethnic humor in collegial relationships with Danes as it spontaneously develops and plays out in everyday work settings. Approaching ethnic humor from a symbolic interactionist perspective rather than adopting the dominant conflict approach, this article emphasizes the bonding functions of ethnic humor. The article argues that immigrants' engagement in playful behavior with ethnic stereotypes in interactions with Danes is a form of “impression management” in which they defuse ethnic stereotypes and dissociate themselves from them by building joking relationships in the workplace with Danes. A video abstract is available at https://tinyurl.com/esholdt.</p>}},
  author       = {{Esholdt, Henriette Frees}},
  issn         = {{0195-6086}},
  keywords     = {{ethnic humor; ethnic stereotype; impression management; joking relationship; spontaneous humor in interaction}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{691--716}},
  publisher    = {{University of California Press}},
  series       = {{Symbolic Interaction}},
  title        = {{Virgins, Terrorists, and Ten Children : Immigrants' Humorous Play with Ethnic Stereotypes in Bonding with Danes in the Workplace}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/symb.426}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/symb.426}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}