THE ROLES OF HUMOUR IN MOTIVATIONAL DISCOURSE
THE ROLES OF HUMOUR IN MOTIVATIONAL DISCOURSE

Summary/Abstract: THE AIM OF THIS PAPER IS TO IDENTIFY THE ROLES OF HUMOUR PERFORMED IN MOTIVATIONAL DISCOURSE. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS OF CREATING A MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH IS CONNECTION. AT THIS POINT, THE SPECKER CREATES A SPECIFIC CLOSENESS BETWEEN HER/HIM AND THE INTERLOCUTOR, SHE/HE HAS AN INTERRELATIONAL BEHAVIOUR; SHE/HE CULTIVATES AN INTIMATE, MUTUAL SPACE AMONG HER/HIM AND THE AUDIENCE. THUS, THE ACCESS TO THE PSICHOLOGICAL UNIVERSE OF THE RECEPTOR RENDERS EFFICIENT THE PROCESS OF MOTIVATION. IN DOING SO, THE SPEAKER RESORTS TO CERTAIN PRAGMA-RHETORICAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES: SELF-DISCLOSURE, PRAGMATIC POLITENESS, METAPHOR AND HUMOUR. THIS ARTICLE WILL FOCUS ON ONE OF THESE STRATEGIES – THE APPEAL TO HUMOUR. THIS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY WILL BE ANALYSED IN TERMS OF DISCURSIVE PERFORMANCE (THE VIOLATION OF CERTAIN CONVERSATION MAXIMS, IRONY, DIRECT SPEECH). BY THIS METHOD WE WILL DEMONSTRATE THE FUNCTIONS OF HUMOUR CORRESPONDING TO THE MOTIVATIONAL SCOPE OF THIS PARTICULAR DISCURSIVE GENRE: I) THE CONNECTION FUNCTION; II) THE SOCIAL FUNCTION; III) THE SELF-DISPARAGING FUNCTION. THE CONNECTION HELPS THE SPEAKER TO PERSUADE THE RECEPTOR EASILY, THE SOCIAL FUNCTION STRENGTHENS THE RELATION BETWEEN THE TWO PARTICIPANTS WITHIN THE COMMUNICATION SITUATION, AND THE SELFDISPARAGING FUNCTION HELPS THE SPEAKER TO TAKE A STANCE OF EQUALITY, FOR THE INTERLOCUTOR TO SATISFY HER/HIS NEED OF INTEGRITY, OF BELONGING TO THE SPEAKER’S DISCURSIVE UNIVERSE. IN ADDITION TO THESE, THERE IS, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE PERSUASIVE FUNCTION, AS THE JOKE IMPLIES A POSITIVE EFFECT. UNDER THIS EFFECT, THE SPEAKER CONVINCES THE RECEPTOR MORE EASILY.

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