SCHEDULE

Week # 1 - January 13, 2011
Let’s laugh! Introduction: humor offensiveness, consents, and disclaimers.What is laughter? Recognizing, vocalizing, defining, and using laughter.

Week # 2 - January 20, 2011
Your Brain on Laughter! Physiology and evolution of laughter. Can laughter and/or humor be addictive? “Dogs may laugh but only cats get the joke!”

Week # 3 - January 27, 2011
Humor me! What is humor? Defining humor through its attributes: sources (stimuli), their perception and evaluation, behavioral responses.

Week # 4 - February 3, 2011
Are you laughing yet? Basic elements, factors, and subjects of effective humor. Linguistic studies of competence in communicating humor.

Week # 5 - February 10, 2011
How many anthropologists does it take to screw in a light-bulb? Culture codes and conceptualization of humor. Conditional and non-conditional jokes.

Assignment # 1 (a take-home group assignment to be presented be presented in class on March 3, 2011; videos and group summary must be turned in by February 24, 2011.