Sofia Morrell - How does humour in YouTube comments signal national belonging?

Whenever we interact we offer signals of who we are and where we belong. In negotiating our identities with others, humour is an important part of the linguistic toolkit. To explore how we both explicitly and implicitly signal identity through language choices, Sofia offers an analysis of comments from viewers of YouTube vlogs, noting in particular the ways in which we claim the status of ‘New Zealander’ through our use of and responses to humour. The goal is to consider national community alignment and the embedding of identity categories within this asynchronous, written context.

Bryer Oden - What are the tangible consequences of misinterpreting humour as a professional migrant?

Using data from Victoria University of Wellington’s Language in the Workplace project, specifically data involving incomers to New Zealand and outbound New Zealanders, Bryer address the ways in which pragmatic understanding is central to the navigation and maintenance of successful workplace relationships. A series of transcribed interactions will demonstrate the use of humour as power, alongside reflections on experience with humour at work. By doing so, Bryer outlines how humour can be a powerful tool to uphold the hegemony of workplace power relations.

Join via Zoom: https://vuw.zoom.us/j/6332241233