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Children's humour and the grotesque pleasures in school mealtime socialisation
Author(s) -
Stone Samantha,
Murakami Kyoko
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
children and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-0860
pISSN - 0951-0605
DOI - 10.1111/chso.12451
Subject(s) - laughter , carnivalesque , perspective (graphical) , negotiation , sociology , psychology , developmental psychology , dialogic , gender studies , pedagogy , social psychology , aesthetics , visual arts , social science , art
In this paper, we argue for two propositions: children are socialised and guided to become competent members of school mealtime community, and children have the capacity to modify and challenge existing practices. We draw on Bakhtin's concepts of the carnivalesque laughter and grotesque realism to illustrate how children use humour to test the boundaries of what is permitted. Children's mealtime interactions foster the development of social skills to subvert and negotiate adult authority and manage unfolding interactions between children and adults. We present findings from a child‐centred perspective in a primary school in the United Kingdom.