Name Christie Davies | Role Author | |
Books Ethnic Humor Around th, The Mirth of Nations, The Strange Death of, Jokes and Targets, Jokes and Their Relations | ||
On the sociology of humour christie davies
John Christopher Hughes "Christie" Davies (25 December 1941 – 26 August 2017) was a British sociologist, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Reading, England, the author of many articles and books on criminology, the sociology of morality, censorship, and humour. He was also visiting professor in India, Poland, United States, and Australia.
Contents
- On the sociology of humour christie davies
- Christie davies of the university of reading tells the humor code his favorite lawyer joke
- Early life
- Career
- Humor research
- Resettling Hong Kong inhabitants in Northern Ireland
- Books
- References
Christie davies of the university of reading tells the humor code his favorite lawyer joke
Early life
He was born John Christopher Hughes Davies in Cheam, Surrey. His parents were Welsh, his father an inspector of schools and mother a teacher. He attended secondary school at Dynevor School in Swansea, Wales. He then studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and graduated with a double first in Economics. In later life, received a PhD from the same university (Cambridge) based on his published works.
Career
In 1964, he was lecturing Economics at the University of Adelaide, South Australia. Returning to the UK, he spent two years at the BBC as a radio producer. Returning to academia, he would lecture at the University of Leeds for three years and appointed as a visiting lecturer in India. In 1972 he joined the University of Reading as a lecturer in Sociology, received promotion to a professor in 1984 and retiring at the same university in 2002.
Humor research
In his 2002 book, The Mirth of Nations, he criticised the theories which derive humor from conflict and superiority, and argued instead that they are a form of play – a play with aggression, superiority, and taboo-breaking. He also argued against the Freudian theory about Jewish jokes being mostly self-deprecating, claiming that instead they are based on the cultural tradition of analytical thinking and self-awareness. American folklorist Alan Dundes called the book "the provocative critique of previous scholarship on the subject".
Davies was past president of the International Society for Humor Studies.
Resettling Hong Kong inhabitants in Northern Ireland
In 1983, Davies warned that when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 there would be no future for its 5.5 million inhabitants. He suggested a new "city state" could be created near Magilligan Point in between Coleraine and Derry for resettling Hong Kong inhabitants.