Jokes in a Garment Workshop in Hanoi: How Does Humour Foster the Perception of Community in Social Movements?

Abstract

This article will demonstrate how jokes are used to foster the perception of community among workers on the shopfloor of a garment workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam. Although jokes cannot be considered as overt resistance on the part of workers, by containing an element of collective reality and desire a sense of collectivity among the workers is heightened. The article will analyse two jokes in their embedded contexts to highlight the importance of humour in the workers' struggle against management.