Gender and humor in social context

This critical review of research on gender and humor describes a theoretically and pragmatically fruitful framework for studying the intersection of these topics. Gender is conceived as a system of meanings that influences access to power, status, and material resources. Humor is conceived as a mode of discourse and a strategy for social interaction. Within this theoretical framework, it is argued that women and men use humor in same-gender and mixed-gender settings as one of the tools of gender construction. Through it and other means, they constitute themselves as masculine men and feminine women. At the same time, the unique properties of humor make it a valuable tool of gender deconstruction. In the political humor of the women's movement, and in the conversational humor of women friends, resistance to dominant social constructions of gender can be voiced. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.