Week # 1 - August 27, 2009

Let’s laugh!
Introduction: humor offensiveness, consents, and disclaimers.
What is laughter? Recognizing, vocalizing, defining, and using laughter.
Diversity focus:
Political correctness in the U.S.: an obstacle or an aid in identifying, discussing, and resolving social issues?
• Lawyering up: how far is too far?
• Disclaimers and academic freedom. All about rights?
• Verbal and visual material: mostly American.

Readings for Week #1:
Polimeni, Joseph & Jeffrey P. Reiss: The First Joke: Exploring the Evolutionary Origins of Humor. In Evolutionary Psychology. Vol. 4. 2006. Pp. 347-366. www.human-nature.com./ep/downloads/ep04347366.pdf

Provine, Robert R.: Chapters 1-3. Pp. 1-53. Chapter 5. Pp. 75-97. In Robert R. Provine:  Laughter. A Scientific Investigation. Viking. 2000.

Strubbe, Bill: Getting Serious About Laughter. In World And I. 2003.
www.worldandi.com/newhome/public/2003/march/nspub.as