EXAMS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

February 3, 2011: Exam # 1 (take-home) – 20% (to be turned in on Feb. 17, 2011)
This exam will cover the first 4 class meetings. It is crucial that all students pass this exam with at least a “C” grade. Students who don't pass this exam with the above grade will be required to do a make-up test.  
February 10, 2011: Assignment # 1 (take-home) – 5% (to be completed on March 3, 2011)
This assignment will cover meetings # 4-6 and will require an Internet search for a funny video clip to analyze it according to points discussed in class (humor theories and techniques). This assignments is a group assignment (5 people in each group) and it will be presented in class (March 3, 2011) for all students to contribute to its evaluation (videos and a group summary must be turned in by February 24, 2011).
February 17, 2011: Assignment # 2 (take-home) – 10% (to be turned in on March 3, 2011)
This assignment will test students on their understanding of humor functions as social control and/or conflict. “Thank You for Smoking!” as a multilayered satire on modern American society.
March 17, 2011: Exam # 2 (take-home) – 20% (to be turned in on March 31, 2011)
This exam will cover meetings #9-11. The first part of this exam will focus on a student’s ability to analyze joking relationships’ charts and applicability of the learned material to a hypothetical conflict situation. The second part will require knowledge and understanding of the roots of specific minorities’ type of humor (in-group stereotyping of stereotypes). Popularity and demise of various ethnic humors as reflection of ever-changing reality in the U.S. (e.g., Polish jokes out, Mexican jokes in).
March 17, 2011: Assignment # 3 (take-home) – 5% (to be turned in on March 31, 2011)
This assignment, “An Assignment from Hell,” will be based on a chapter from O’Rourke’s Holidays from Hell. 10 ethnic groups will be selected to understand stereotypes as presented by O'Rourke..
March 31, 2011: Assignment # 4 (take-home) – 10% (to be turned in on April 7, 2011)
This assignment will cover meeting #12 and will be designed to test students on their ability to use acquired information (sex, aggression, gender roles, commercials) to examine a role of humor in reducing or increasing crime rates (homicide, rape, etc.) in the U.S.A.,and, for example, in Holland, and and/or Islamic countries of the Middle East.
April 7, 2011: Assignment # 5 (take-home) – 10% (to be turned in on April 14, 2011)
This assignment (meeting #13) will examine students’ knowledge on the importance of humor in religious rituals (humor in and about religion/s).
April 24, 2011: Final exam # 3 (take-home) – 20% )to be turned in on May 5, 2011)
This exam will cover the rest of meetings focusing on issues of hate humor, absurd humor, political humor, and freedom of speech and of artistic expression (e.g., Borat, Amazing Racist, and Chris Rock).