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Laughter in oral histories of displacement : 'one goes on a mission to solve their problems'
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Panichelli-Batalla, Stéphanie (2020) Laughter in oral histories of displacement : 'one goes on a mission to solve their problems'. Oral History Review , 47 (1). pp. 73-92. doi:10.1080/00940798.2020.1723425 ISSN 0094-0798.
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/00940798.2020.1723425
Abstract
Although the use of humor and laughter in oral history has started to appear in oral history literature, it is still very much under-researched. Most of the studies analyze humor and laughter together, while Kate Moore focuses on laughter on its own. Humor and laughter, although linked, are two different concepts. While humor is a mental ability to perceive and/or express something funny, laughter on the other hand is a sound or a sequence of expirations, produced as the expression of an emotion, which can be set off by a humorous trigger, but not necessarily. It is therefore important to distinguish both. This paper will build on Moore’s study by exploring the use of unilateral laughter in eleven oral histories of exiled Cuban internationalist healthcare professionals. However, unlike Moore’s study, this research will not be limited to difficult memories. Our analysis will deepen our knowledge on the history of the Cuban global universal healthcare system by giving a voice to its participants, analyzing therefore, not solely the facts and statistics of the program but, as Portelli states, the meaning that its participants give to it when reflecting on their experience from the present. By exploring the occurrence of laughter, this paper intends to shed light on the relevance of focusing on unconscious reactions in oral history narratives, in order to better understand emotions linked to the narrated memories. The analysis will show that unilateral laughter is recurrent in the interviews when participants reflect on a change in their identity, the implications of working for a state program, and their need for respect of human dignity. It will highlight the impact the mission had on their personal and professional lives during and after their humanitarian experience. These stories of displacement will also show what Norrick has called the dual humorous perspective of the participants, but rather than solely referring to the time of the interview and age of the participants, we will also assert that another key factor to be taken into consideration is the situation of displacement as well as the degree of acculturation of the participants.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||
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| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology D History General and Old World > D History (General) P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts > School for Cross-faculty Studies Faculty of Arts > School for Cross-faculty Studies > Global Sustainable Development |
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| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Oral history , Laughter, Wit and humor -- History and criticism, Narration (Rhetoric) , Collective memory -- Cuba | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Oral History Review | ||||||
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press | ||||||
| ISSN: | 0094-0798 | ||||||
| Official Date: | 9 March 2020 | ||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 47 | ||||||
| Number: | 1 | ||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 73-92 | ||||||
| DOI: | 10.1080/00940798.2020.1723425 | ||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||
| Reuse Statement (publisher, data, author rights): | This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Oral History Review following peer review. The version of record Stephanie Panichelli-Batalla (2020) Laughter in Oral Histories of Displacement: “One Goes on a Mission to Solve Their Problems”, The Oral History Review, 47:1, 73-92, DOI: 10.1080/00940798.2020.1723425 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1080/00940798.2020.1723425 | ||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||
| Date of first compliant deposit: | 12 December 2019 | ||||||
| Date of first compliant Open Access: | 9 March 2022 | ||||||
| RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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