AMERICAN WIT AND HUMOR

AMER526

Course Code: AMER526
Semester: -
Theory+Practice: 3 + 0
ECTS: 10

Course Type

Elective Course

Course Level

Master's Degree Without Thesis

Year of Study

Semester

ECTS

Name of Lecturer(s)

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

will be able to trace the development of American humor from its early roots to modern examples,
will be able to discuss the ways in which early good-natured humor gave way to bitter satire and black humor,
will be able to examine the relationship between humor and power by looking at both mainstream and marginal works,
will be able to investigate the subversive power of humor.

Mode of Delivery

Face to face

Prerequisites

Recommended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Description

The course is designed to trace the development of American humor from the early tall tale tradition to contemporary humor. While established humorists such as Mark Twain, James Thurber, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., etc. will be an integral part of the course, it will also explore lesser known types of humor, such as women's humor, ethnic humor, African-American humor, etc.

Course Contents

WEEK	TOPICS
1^st Week	Introduction: What is Humor? Theories of Humor
2^nd Week	Early American Humor: The Tall Tale
3^rd Week	Regional Humor (with Special Emphasis on Southwestern Humor)
4^th Week	Mark Twain
5^th Week	Mark Twain
6^th Week	Mark Twain
7^th Week	Ethnic Humor
8^th Week	Women's Humor
9^th Week	Women's Humor
10^th Week	Women's Humor
11^th Week	Social Humor (Vonnegut and Coover)
12^th Week	Absurdism and Dark Humor
13^th Week	Absurdism and Dark Humor
14^th Week	Absurdism and Dark Humor

Recommended or Required Reading

Boskin, Joseph. Humor and Social Change in Twentieth Century America. Boston: Trustees of the Public Library, 1979.

Covici, Pascal. Humor and Revelation in American Literature: The Puritan Connection. Columbia: U of Missouri P, 1997.

Hughes, Langston. The Book of Negro Humor. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1966.

Sloane, David E. E., ed. New Directions in American Humor. Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P, 1998.

Walker, Nancy A. A Very Serious Thing: Women's Humor and American Culture. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1988.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture
Discussion
Presentation

Assessment Methods and Criteria

	Quantity	Percentage (%)
Project	1	30
Attendance	1	10
Presentation of Article	2	20
Total(%)		60
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%)		60
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%)		40
Total(%)		100

ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload

Activities	Quantity	Duration (Hour)	Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work	14	5	70
Preparation for Final exam	1	10	10
Course hours	14	3	42
Preparation for Midterm exam
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam	1	3	3
Homework
Project	1	60	60
Article Presentation	2	25	50
Weekly Articles and Resource Research	14	5	70
Total Work Load			305
Total Work Load / 30 (h)			10.16
ECTS Credit of the Course			10

Language of Instruction

English

Work Placement(s)

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4
K1	X	X	X	X
K2			X
K3	X	X	X	X
K4	X	X	X
K5	X	X	X	X
K6	X	X	X	X
K7			X
K8		X
K9
K10	X	X	X	X
K11	X	X	X	X
K12
K13		X

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4
K1	X	X	X	X
K2			X
K3	X	X	X	X
K4	X	X	X
K5	X	X	X	X
K6	X	X	X	X
K7			X
K8		X
K9
K10	X	X	X	X
K11	X	X	X	X
K12
K13		X

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4
K1	X	X	X	X
K2			X
K3	X	X	X	X
K4	X	X	X
K5	X	X	X	X
K6	X	X	X	X
K7			X
K8		X
K9
K10	X	X	X	X
K11	X	X	X	X
K12
K13		X

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4
K1	X	X	X	X
K2			X
K3	X	X	X	X
K4	X	X	X
K5	X	X	X	X
K6	X	X	X	X
K7			X
K8		X
K9
K10	X	X	X	X
K11	X	X	X	X
K12
K13		X