Research Proposal Outline

Name : Desi
Student Number : A1B214012
Title : A CROSS CULTURAL STUDY: ETHNIC HUMOR IN INDONESIAN
AND AMERICAN STAND UP COMEDIES

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Ethnic humor involving irony and cultural stereotype in modern stand-up comedy
has been widely presented by comedians all around the world. Eventhough humor is
universal but culture affects the way it is presented, differently. Each culture has its own
norm and value that widely believed by the member of culture and humor may have
specific function in particular culture. Indonesia and America belongs to different
cultural dimension. Will they present the same type of humor in the same manner? Is
there any different or similar characteristic of ethnic humor presented by different
cultures? In Indonesia, humor in stand up comedy had been studied from various
diciplines; linguistic, sociology, psychology. But research that comparing ethnic humor
in stand up comedy from two different cultures is still limited.

1.2 Research Question

1. How does ethnic humor manifest in Indonesian and American stand-up comedy? In
other words, what methods used by stand-up comedian from both cultures in their
jokes?

2. Are there any differences of ethnic humor characteristic performed by Indonesian and
American stand-up comedians?

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine methods of etchnic humor used by Indonesian and American stand-up

comedian and the function of ethnic humor their performance.
 2. To compare the different and similar characteristic of ethnic humor used by
Indonesian and American stand-up comedians.

1.4. Limitation of the Research

 Excludes the gender differences variable: the study only analyzes four male
stand-up comedians from Indonesia and America, therefore, the findings might
not be able to show how ethnic humor is presented by different gender.

1.5. Significance of the Research

 Theoretically, provide a clear picture of ethnic humor characteristics in

Indonesian and American stand up comedy. And possible motives for the use of
such humor.

 Practically, increase the awareness of cross cultural understanding by knowing the

differences of ethnic humor across culture.

2. Review of Related Literature

2.1. Definition and Basic Concept of Humor

Crawford (1994), Romero and Cruthirds (2006), Ritchie (2004)

2.2. Theories of humor

2.2.1 Incongruity theories: Foot (1986), Krikmann (2005)

2.2.2 Superiority theories: Berger (1987), Hobbes (1996), Skinner, 2002)

2.2.3 Relief theories: Spencer (1860), Skinner (2002)

2.2.4 The General Theory of Verbal Humor: Raskin (1991)

2.3. Humor and Cross cultural Understanding

Hofstede, G& Minkow, M. (2010) Ziv, A. (1988)

2.4. Stand-up comedy

Caviness, C.M. (2013), Hill, L.B, & Fitzgerald, B. (2002), Mintz, L. E (2008)

2.4.1 Joke In Stand-up Comedy

2.4.2 Target and Punchline

 Armijo, J.C et al (2010)

2.4.3 Irony and Self-disparaging humor

Abrams, O’Connor, & Giles (2001), Rapopport (2005), Attardo (2000)

2.5. Stereotypes and Ethnic Humor

2.5.1 Stereotypes: Ford and Tonander (1998), Giddens (1999)

2.5.2 Ethnic humor: Leveen (1996), Eriksen (2012)

2.6. Discourse analysis

Van Dijk (2002), Brown & Yule (1983)

2.6.1. Crititical Discourse Analysis (CDA): Van Dijk (1996), Fairclough (1992)

2.6.2. Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of discourse: Fairclough (1992)

3. Research Methodology

3.1 Design: Descriptive qualitative design

3.2 Subject: Humor routines with ethnic humor contents from Indonesian and American
stand-up comedy shows: two stand-up comedians from Indonesia; Ernest Prakasa and
Arie Kriting, and two stand-up comedians from America; Kevin Hart and Chris Rock.

3.3 Data Collection: Data selection, transcription, coding, data analysis

3.4 Data Analysis

The data analysis of this study will be using content analysis with data-based method
suggested by Tuomi and Sarajärvi (2009) it is separated into three steps: 1) reducing
the unecessary part of data, 2) catagorizing data based on similar/ different concept, 3)
forming the theoritical concept of selected data. The catagorization will be based on the
different function of ethnic humor includes Sword and Shield, Social Criticism and
reshaping discourse. Fairclough’s three dimensional model of discourse: dicursive
practice, text, and social practice will be used to analyse the ethnic humor from both
culture.