Definitions and context ‘self defence against the slings and arrows of an unfriendly world’

This chapter begins with a consideration of the relationship between laughter and humour, the differences between jokes and other forms of humour. It then provides a typology of humour e.g. anecdotal, deadpan, farcical etc. Inevitably this is not a comprehensive list of different types of humour, but the definitions are provided because they provide examples of common forms of humour found in this investigation in relation to social work. The chapter then considers the main theories of humour and locates them in their historical context and considers the implications for practice.