The Role of Laughter in Public Speaking by https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit Jiachen Liu 1387679; Jiahe Ding 1475863; Qianru Yang 1373072;Yi Hu 1509634; Xiang Gu 1408145; en-us 2023-09-28 10:37:46 UTC 2023-10-09 05:24:04 UTC hello@padlet.com Controversy Caused by Laughter XiangGu https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2724626675 Negative viewpoint: 
  • Her frequent bursts of laughter when facing severe issues are the "biggest, destructive, negative force" in American politics -The Daily Telegraph's Tim Blair.           
Positive viewpoint:
  • "Vice President Kamala Harris is known for loving to laugh, but this could all be part of political strategy" (Payne, 2022).
]]> 2023-09-28 13:05:49 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2724626675 Analysed Text：Kamala Harris' Laughter regarding Ukrainian Refugee Crisis https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726086236 Available at: https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/kamala-harris-slammed-for-laughing-after-question-about-ukrainian-refugees/news-story/c2e21649a95f6fec1aa6924e0b09cea9]]> 2023-09-29 13:46:14 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726086236 4.2 How to Describe and Interpret the Laughter? yih12 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726113339 In the highly structured press conference setting, the president was a "responder" to deliver information.
Her laughter is spontaneous and abrupt, deviating from the anticipated "Question and Answer" adjacency pair, and is not affiliative to the questioner who is talking. Instead of offering a direct response to a question as expected, her laughter unexpectedly takes its place, possibly as a strategy to avoid addressing sensitive topics and to present complex situations with a less severe tone.]]> 2023-09-29 14:03:40 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726113339 3.2 The Concept of Laughter yih12 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726115704 Laughter is considered an independent activity (Du, 2022) and a deliberate, systematic, and strategically deployed action within its sequential context (Glenn, 2003). Depending on the context and the laughable, laughter can be affiliative or disaffiliative and has various implications on meaning interpretation in different circumstances (Clayman, 1992; Warner-Garcia, 2014; Du, 2022).

]]> 2023-09-29 14:05:27 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726115704 Introduction of Laughter https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726684588 Laughter is a meaningful mode of communication in social interactions, which can express friendliness, happiness, acceptance, and approval. Laughter serves multiple purposes, including maintaining social order, fostering connections, easing tension, and shaping one's identity. Nonetheless, depending on inflection, timing, and facial expression, laughter can also convey negative feelings like displeasure, sarcasm, or provocation.]]> 2023-09-30 02:57:06 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726684588 yih12 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726846010 Question 1: When politicians laugh during public speeches, do you think this "laughter" has a positive or negative effect in this scenario? Why?

Question 2:  Is there a variation in this perception across different cultures and different settings?
]]> 2023-09-30 11:18:15 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726846010 An Opposite Example： Laughter in Danish Parliament during Question Time. https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726857900 Retrieved from：https://youtu.be/xDTO5tWLlYo?si=Ik3AtgCU5NIRHpR-]]> 2023-09-30 11:48:04 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726857900 Analysis of the Positive Example https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726861012 Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sparked a lighthearted moment in parliament that resonated with the parliament (Denmark, 2019). She described a government action to acquire four elephants from Cirkus Arena and Cirkus Trapez, one of which had a camel as a best friend, and they could not be separated from each other, so they bought the camel as well. The unexpected news prompted bursts of laughter from MPs, a rare moment of humour in the ordinarily solemn parliamentary session.]]> 2023-09-30 11:55:23 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726861012 Kamala Harris Laughing at All the Wrong Moments https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726961445 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Dr3tRna3t0U?feature=share]]> 2023-09-30 15:00:28 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2726961445 3.1 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) yih12 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727225108 CDA has assumed that language is inherently connected to society. It emphasises the linguistic elements within texts and delves into the societal frameworks that shape texts (Fairclough, 2013). CDA employs a three-dimensional model, examining language at macro, meso, and micro levels to describe, interpret, and explain texts comprehensibly. This approach encompasses textual analysis, the study of discourse practices, and the exploration of sociocultural practices within language (Fairclough, 1995, p. 98).]]> 2023-10-01 03:00:30 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727225108 Three-dimension model yih12 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727225228 （Fairclough, 1995, p.98）]]> 2023-10-01 03:01:03 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727225228 4.3 Why Harris’s laughter has been criticised? (the exploration of socio-cultural practices within language) yih12 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727241820 Regarding negative viewpoints
  • Considering the nature of laughter, which can be either affiliative or disaffiliative depending on the context and the laughable (Clayman, 1992), Harris's laughter seemed to defy the established norms of institutional discourse, particularly in a press conference. The topic of Ukraine refugees is not typically laughable and is regarded as a sensitive political issue. Harris's laughter conveyed a lack of seriousness, which could suggest either an attempt to evade the issue or express anxiety. However, it occurred at an inappropriate time and place.
  • As the Vice President of the United States, a position that holds a role of authority in such conferences, Harris's laughter may be a signal of negotiating power by presenting a non-serious image to weaken the power structure between two presidents and audiences. However, the inappropriate laughter makes people question or judge America's policies on specific issues.

]]> 2023-10-01 04:06:27 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727241820 XiangGu https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727325678 Brown, K. (2023). Nervous laughter: Why you do it & how to stop it. Science of People. 
https://www.scienceofpeople.com/nervous-laughter/
Chafe, W. L. (2007). The importance of not being earnest: the feeling behind laughter and humor. Choice Reviews Online, 45(03), 45–124245–1242. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.45-1242
Chapman, A. J., & Foot, H. C. (Eds.). (1996). Humour and laughter: Theory, research and applications (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Clayman, S. E. (1992). Caveat orator: Audience disaffiliation in the 1988 presidential debates. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 78(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00335639209383980
Du, P. (2022). Shared laughter as relational strategy at intercultural conflictual workplace interactions. Journal of Pragmatics, 188(2022), 39–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.11.016
Fairclough, N. (2013). Critical discourse analysis : the critical study of language. Taylor and Francis.
Fairclough, N. (1995). Critical discourse analysis : the critical study of language. Longman.
FoxNews. (2022, Apr 10). Kamala Harris laughing at all the wrong moments: Hannity. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Dr3tRna3t0U?feature=share
Giamario, P. (2022). Laughter as Politics. Taking on the Political.
Hymes, D. (2009) ‘Models of the interaction of language and Social Life’, The New Sociolinguistics Reader, pp. 583–597.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-92299-4_39.
Kolmorgen, K. (2019, Oct 26). Laughter in Danish parliament during question time.
https://youtu.be/xDTO5tWLlYo?si=Ik3AtgCU5NIRHpR-
Paltridge, B. (2012a). Discourse and Society. In Discourse Analysis: An introduction. Bloomsbury.
Paltridge, B. (2012b). What is Discourse Analysis? In Discourse Analysis: An Introduction.
Payne, O. (2022, December 17).  Kamala Harris laughs her way through vice presidency. Achona. 
https://achonaonline.com/staff_name/photo-credit-olivia-payne-achona-online-canva/
Spencer-Oatey, H. (2008) Culturally speaking: Managing rapport in talk across cultures. London: Continuum.
Tsakona, V., & Popa, D. E. (2013). Confronting power with laughter. European Journal of Humour Research, 1(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.7592/ejhr2013.1.2.tsakona
Warner-Garcia, S. (2014). Laughing when nothing’s funny: the pragmatic use of coping laughter in the negotiation of conversational disagreement. Pragmatics, 24(1), 157–180. 
https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.24.1.07war
]]> 2023-10-01 09:12:55 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727325678 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727362008 Regarding Positive Viewpoints
  • Appropriate use of non-verbal cues (e.g., eye contact, gestures, and other body movements）plays a significant role in effective communication and rapport management (Spencer-Oatey, 2008). When a reporter asked Kamala Harris a question, it was apparent that she required additional time to formulate her response carefully. Seeking to allow Duda to respond first, Harris employed a nonverbal signal, but Duda did not comprehend it, leading to Harris responding with anxious laughter. This form of laughter, as defined by Brown (2023), serves as a means for individuals to alleviate anxiety and stress in awkward or uncomfortable situations. 
  • Furthermore, given that laughter is recognised as a political strategy capable of shaping, maintaining, and transforming contemporary social and political dynamics (Giamario, 2022), Harris's incorporation of laughter during the political conference could be considered a deliberate political strategy, which attempts to create a more relaxed environment and cultivate an amiable and compatible personal and even national image.
]]> 2023-10-01 10:44:24 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727362008 4.1 Contextualize the Discourse https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727748881  Adapted from the SPEAKING MODEL (Hymes, 2009) 

Social and political context:
  •  Harris is the first female of colour in the position of vice president in America and is from the Democratic Party, which is mainly perceived as a progressive party.
  •  Politicians are most aware that their discourse is aimed at influencing and impressing the wider audience. Hence, humour (associated with laughter) is usually a communicative strategy politicians employ to construct a widely disseminated positive self-image (Tsakona & Popa, 2013).

]]> 2023-10-01 22:33:54 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727748881 Conclusion https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727778572
  • Based on Fairclough's three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) (1995, p.98), this poster examines Kamala Harris's laughter during a press conference to explore the controversies surrounding it, particularly the negative perception of her laughter as a significant, detrimental influence on American politics.
  • By treating laughter as an independent form of communication, CDA allows us to analyze how laughter, as a type of discourse, is used for political purposes and uncover the underlying causes of the controversy from multiple angles.
  • While CDA is valuable for examining the various functions of laughter in specific contexts, such as a press conference, it provides a primarily descriptive and potentially objective interpretation.

    •   Future suggestion
    • Consequently, there remains an opportunity for further research on laughter within institutional discourse, with a focus on broader socio-cultural contexts which might consider power dynamics, rapport management, im/politeness theory and gender stereotypes （Paltridge, 2012a; Paltridge, 2012b; Spencer-Oatey, 2008). This broader perspective will enhance our understanding of how laughter functions in interactions and provide detailed discourse analysis.
    ]]>     2023-10-01 23:47:29 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727778572     Functions of Laughter https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727782996 The function of laughter is to mitigate face threat by expressing nonseriousness (Warner-Garcia, 2014; Chafe, 2007), serve as a signal for frame enactment/switch in delicate situations (Du, 2022) 

    ]]>     2023-10-01 23:57:37 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727782996     https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727877754 2023-10-02 02:19:18 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2727877754 Response to 2 Questions l_zhou01 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2729994108 Answer 1:
    From my point of view, I believe that the original design of politicians' laughter was to gain positive influence. However, the complexity of the context led to various explanations. There are 2 benefits for this action.

    Firstly, the politician might be hiding the authentic answer of the question. Based on REUTERS's report in April, though the US president promised to accept 100,000 Ukrainians refugees in March, the real number of settler was 12. As a result, it could be inferred that Kamala was not prepared for the answer of that question which fit the wishes at that time. In that situation, she tried to use physical behaviors to interrupt the journalist's question and transfer the subject to another person. For audience, she gave a vague response "a friend in need is a friend indeed" to prompt an assumption that the USA would give a hand, but without specific policy and numbers. 

    Secondly, it builds her an identity of a image of closing to people. I cannot guess what American people thought but it could be analyzed that accepting these refugees were not an advantageous event for oridinary people. The possibility of conflicting seemed obvious and few benefits were shown. For those who did not care about it, like me, a totally foreigner to the US event, there was no negative effect through this laughter. In addition, it strengthened the impression of laughter of Kamala, directing at protecting her native country's rights, confident, and humorous. ]]>     2023-10-03 10:29:03 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2729994108     Answer for Question 2 l_zhou01 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2730100799 I think so. From my perspective, I believe that the tolerance of the behavior in America is bigger than in my hometown, China. I think Americans are not afraid of showing emotions in public. Based on my experiences of studying in America, it is imaginable that the politician made a serious situation more relaxing through humorous behaviors. However, Chinese leaders prefer to show no intense emotions on the screen to prove their credibility. It might be caused by the authoritarian thinking and what characteristics people think as an authority has. 

    In addition, if it is not a question and answer with a foreign president, but an unofficial forum to talk about the corresponding questions, the behaviors of Kamala may not receive so much critique.]]>     2023-10-03 11:58:33 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2730100799     Answer from Seminar group 2, team 7 l_zhou01 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2731353332 Answer from Seminar group 2, team 7 is written below question for discussion. If there is anything not clear or you wish me to add more, please email me. Lingyi Zhou.]]> 2023-10-04 03:41:49 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2731353332 Answers from Nuraini nuraini10 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2735411295 Q1:
    For me, it depends on one’s intention to laugh. For some people, laughter is a way to lend them time to think about the answer, while for some, they laugh to warm too serious situations, or maybe some people also laugh to convey their negative feelings. It also relates to one’s personality. For example, Vice President Kamala Harris likes to laugh, there could be many explanations for the laughter. This action can also be assumed as a political strategy to create less distance with her interlocutors and furthermore create a friendly situation in the conversation.
    Q2:
    While I admit that maybe some countries have different perceptions about politicians' laughter, in Indonesia, the presidents use laughter strategy to avoid distance in the conversation and create a positive image in the society. As Indonesia has many young citizens, laughter is seen as the strategy to engage with them because Indonesian people prefer one with a friendly attitude better than one with too serious image.
    ]]>     2023-10-06 10:54:23 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2735411295     comments nuraini10 https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2735413353 This is a well-done padlet. The key concepts are explained well, the visual is beautiful, and the analysis is great. Well-done!

    -Nuraini]]>     2023-10-06 10:56:42 UTC https://padlet.com/XiangGu/7bputqgf5z6nneit/wish/2735413353