What Makes Us Laugh?

What Makes Us Laugh?

Study Group (2-3 session | This program is completed

1923 E. Joyce Blvd. Fayetteville, AR 72703 United States

Performance Hall

Open to OLLI Members and Non-OLLI Members

Thursday, September 8, 2022-Thursday, September 15, 2022

10:00 AM-11:30 AM on Th

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$40.00

$25.00

 Are laughter and humor universal, or specific to cultures and social contexts? In this course, Jeff Nash, MSU Emeritus Professor, will explore the varieties of humor, understand the conditions under which people laugh, review explanations of humor and describe the purposes of humor. We'll learn about trends in standup comedy, and what philosophers and social scientists have to say about humor and its significance for society and culture. Using examples from YouTube clips to illustrate humor, we might enjoy a laugh or two.

  • This program meets in person for 2 sessions at Butterfield Trail Village (BTV), located at 1923 E. Joyce Blvd., Fayetteville, AR 72703.

    Click on the link below for driving directions to the location:


    Butterfield Trail Village Directions
Nash, Jeffrey

Jeffrey E. Nash is a professor emeritus (Missouri State University) and former chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He also served as professor of sociology at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota. He has authored several books and has articles and book chapters on a wide range of topics from bulldogs to barbershop singing. With Charles Edgley, he is co-editor of The Journal of Contemporary Ethnography.