ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that exploring the nuanced and complex relationship that holds between teasing and has much to offer studies more broadly. It begins by first introducing the different ways in which teasing has been studied across various disciplines, and discusses the key findings about teasing that have emerged through such research. The chapter deals with a brief consideration of key debates about teasing, and areas that are suggested to be in need of further research. However, the systematic study of teasing and mockery largely has its roots in the work of anthropologists, in particular, Radcliffe-Brown, who introduced "joking relationships" as a serious focus for academic study. Teasing is often associated with childhood, but it has been found to be ubiquitous, arising across a wide range of different interactional settings in different languages and cultures. It is of particular interest to those undertaking research about humor, because teasing is multilayered, invariably mixing elements of provocation and non-seriousness.
