Volume III Special Issue III March 2023

Name of Author : Annu K. Jose

Title of the paper : Gender Policing Through Humour An analysis of the jokes of Khushwant Singh

Abstract: Jokes, as we normally think, are not so innocent. They play a significant role in maintaining the structures of society that are often biased or favouring one section over the other. Studies related to gender discuss several issues related to the social construction of gender identity and gender-specific roles. However, the genre of hu-mour studies needs to be further explored in this light. Humour and the aligned feature of ridicule are brought together to identify the panoptic role played by the former in enforcing hierarchical gender relations in society. As a disciplinary tool humour is significant in cultivating a social agent who will oblige to the norms of society, out of the fear of being laughed at. This article attempts a critical analysis of the jokes narrated by Khushwant Singh in his Joke Book VI, with a focus on gender humour. The concept of ridicule suggested by Michael Billig is employed to understand the role played by humour in reinforcing gender roles and hegemony in society.

Keywords : Humour, Gender, Ridicule, Reinforcement, Laughter

DOI :

Page Number : 142-145