Volume 21, Issue 1 , Pages 25-35, January 2010
Forms, Functions, and Foibles of Humor Used in AIDS Service Organizations
Research has indicated that HIV service providers commonly use humor to cope with work-related stress; however, little is known about the forms and functions of humor used by these professionals. In this study, 25 HIV service providers from five AIDS service organizations were interviewed about their use of humor. Participants described five primary types of humor as prevalent within AIDS service organizations and noted that humor served a variety of functions, which were either adaptive or maladaptive. Adaptive functions included boosting morale and reducing tension, whereas maladaptive functions ranged from masking emotions to alienating certain groups. Results emphasized the importance of context in the study of humor use and the need for continued investigations of the stress and coping of HIV service providers.
Key words: burnout, coping, HIV service providers, humor, stress
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Editors' note: This article contains graphic language and content. JANAC's editorial staff is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the work of all of our authors. In qualitative research, this includes input from participants who are willing to share their experiences with the researcher and—eventually—with the reader. In this article, we have honored those individuals by leaving their words intact.
PII: S1055-3290(09)00150-2
doi:10.1016/j.jana.2009.08.001
Published by Elsevier Inc.
Volume 21, Issue 1 , Pages 25-35, January 2010
