A descriptive analysis of the uses and functions of sarcasm in the classroom discourse of higher education.

摘要

The purpose of this study is to analyze the uses and functions of sarcasm in higher education classroom discourse. This study contributes to a small but growing body of research on sarcasm by offering a descriptive analysis of spontaneous, naturally occurring data and by applying ethnographic methodology to this analysis.;Previous research has studied the nonverbal behavior as well as the verbal cues associated with sarcasm. These issues have been investigated both in the fields of psychology and linguistics. Amante (1981), Attardo (2000), Haverkate (1990) and Myers-Roy (1981) have also conducted research on sarcasm within the area of pragmatics. However, little has been written about the different realizations and uptake of the use of sarcasm from a discourse analytic perspective.;Data for the study were gathered using a microethnographic approach (Erickson 1982, 1998). I videotaped eight professors (four male/four female) teaching upper level, undergraduate courses at a large university throughout one academic semester. I recorded five classes per course, conducted ethnographic interviews with all eight of the professors at the end of the semester, and conducted interviews with forty-four students, including at least one student from each class.;This study seeks to ascertain who uses sarcasm and when in the college classroom; student's reactions to the speech behavior; topics most likely to elicit sarcasm; possible linguistic patterning of sarcasm; and implications for pedagogy. I offer valuable information on the effect of this speech behavior on the dynamics of classroom interaction.;A detailed analysis shows us that sarcasm can be used as a solidarity marker and thus has the ability to build rapport between students and teachers, if used appropriately. Just where the line is drawn between hurtful and rapport-inspiring use of this speech behavior is an important thrust of the present study. The ultimate purpose of such research is to make use of these findings in educational settings in order to foster understanding of the use of this speech behavior in classroom discourse.