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Geographical Studies of Humor
Author(s) -
Ridanpää Juha
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geography compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.587
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 1749-8198
DOI - 10.1111/gec3.12159
Subject(s) - cohesion (chemistry) , element (criminal law) , feeling , variety (cybernetics) , relevance (law) , cognition , humor research , field (mathematics) , sociology , psychology , social psychology , political science , computer science , chemistry , mathematics , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , pure mathematics , law
Humor is a spatially embedded institution in many ways. Although a highly marginal field of study, the number of geographical studies on humor has been increasing lately. The aim of this article is to introduce the various approaches and also draw connecting links between them. The review shows how practices of popular media are geopolitically charged, how humor is intertwined with issues of social marginalization, how humor operates as an important element in the construction of group cohesion, how humor works as a non‐cognitive element of human actions, feelings, and emotions, as well as how it represents a useful tool for educational and economic purposes, and how all of this has been studied by scholars of geography. The review shows the various directions of the geographical studies of humor at the same time emphasizing that the relevance, variety, and multidimensionality of the topic have not been fully recognized.