T H E U S E S O F H U M O R I N S O C I A L W O R K P R A C T I C E

Alex Gitterman, Ph.D., University of Connecticut

This narrative examines the functions and uses ofhumor in social work practice. Two types ofhumor, purposively telling a jokeand spontaneously responding to a situation, are illustrated as a way of putting people at ease during initial contacts, engagingreluctant clients, exploring taboo areas, and improving cognitive and problem-solving skills. Practice principles and cautions arealso presented.

Laugh and the world laughs with you;Weep and you weep alone;For the sad old earth must borrow its

mirth.But has trouble enough of its own.

Laughter is essential to life. Jokes, witti-cisms, ironies, teasing, clowning, and otherverbal and nonverbal behaviors are a funda-mental characteristic of interpersonal commu-nication and have a profound impact on ev-eryday interactions (Wyer & Collins, 1992).Humor serves numerous functions. Humorpermits expression of inhibited thoughts andfeelings and provides for a release of associ-ated repressed or suppressed anxieties andtensions (Freud, 1928; Freud,1960). Foroppressed and vulnerable populations, humorand laughter provide a safety valve for cop-ing with painful realities.' Ethnic and racialhumor helps a stereotyped group to vent an-ger and to dismissively laugh at the dominantculture's stereotypes. Laughter affums that"tiie injustices suffered are undeniably wrong"(Bowles, 1994, p. 3). Humor also surfacesthe less visible, more subtle forms of preju-dice and discrimination. By making the lessvisible more visible, oppression is chaUenged(Gordon, 1998). When a member of the eth-nic and racial group pokes fun at absurd ste-reotypes, laughter in the face of adversity re-leases tensions and provides hope.^ Laugh-ter "deflects, unmasks, and frees us from un-real, pretentious, and imprisoning beliefs orperceptions" (Siporin, 1984, p. 460).

Humor is essential to life and is poten-tially useful in social work practice. Humorputs people at ease during initial contacts, asthey enter an unfamiUar situation and meet aprofessional stranger for the first time. Sharedlaughter serves as a social bridge and facili-tates engagement and rapport. Laughing to-gether softens tiie power differential, reducessocial distance, normalizes the helping pro-cess, and advances the therapeutic relation-ship. Socially, laughter provides people witha common experience, akin to breaking breadtogether. Feeling more at ease, clients aremore likely to share their thoughts, feelings,and experiences. Humor also provides a ticketinto taboo areas by helping both client andworker cope with their emotions. Gentle hu-mor relieves anxiety or embarrassment andeases pain. In dealing with resistance orpower stmggles, humor may increase posi-tive reactions to ideas and motivate involve-ment (Gitterman, 1998). Finally, humor stimu-lates and enhances cognitive processes, prob-lem solving, and self-exploration (Suis, 1983).

Humor should be constmctive and de-void of countertransferrential ridicule, sar-casm, orhostiUty(Tuttman, 1991). Destruc-tive and harmful humor often serves the pur-pose of masking vuUierabiUty and achievingsuperiority at another person's expense.Moreover, one is cautioned about using hu-mor to avoid dealing with important cUent is-sues, e.g., a cUent may feel that tiie worker isnot taking his or her problem seriously(Huxtable, 1989). Finally, some clients may

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not respond to humor. In some situations, theworker may simply not be funny; in others,the worker's type of humor may be misun-derstood or misinterpreted, e.g., teasing a cli-ent who is unable to handle teasing. Theworker must deal with the awkwardness ofthe situation by quickly assessing whether thehumor was misunderstood or misinterpreted(Pollio, 1995). Effective humor is spontane-ous, gentle, and well-timed and requires thecapacity to laugh at oneself

Two types of humor are available to asocial worker: (1) purposively telling ajoke,and (2) spontaneously responding to a situa-tion (Pollio, 1995; Richman, 1995). Thesetwo types of humor will be illustrated for thepurposes of putting people at ease during ini-tial contacts, engaging reluctant clients, ex-ploring taboo areas, and improving cognitiveand problem-solving skills.

Using Humor to put People at EaseDuring Initial Contacts

Illustration 1: In a first meeting of anadult educational group, the worker askedmembers to introduce themselves and to sharesomething that they wanted the other mem-bers to know about them, such as a favoritehobby, a special pet, and so forth. The workerwanted to help members become comfort-able with each other by keep things safe andlight As members went around the room, theywere becoming more relaxed and interestedin each other. This flow shifted when a mem-ber created an awkward moment. She pre-maturely shared, "Hello, my name is Gail andI am a recovering alcoholic and victim ofsexual abuse." The group became silent. Af-ter a few moments of uncomfortable silence,the worker responded with a smile: "Gee, Iwas hoping you would share something more

personal and intimate about yourself "Allmembers (including Gail) began to laugh atthe paradoxical comment and the uncomfort-able moment dissipated. The worker followedby stating, "Gail, I appreciate that you sharedthese Hfe experiences with us and we will beexamining how all of us have dealt with lifetravunas."

Using Humor to Engage a ReluctantCMent

Illustration 2: A social worker special-ized in reaching difficult adolescents. A14 yearold was referred for anti-social behavior andrebelling against parental limits. Family andlegal pressures coerced him to see the worker.He arrived with a scowl on his face and pro-nounced, "You are the ughest looking socialworker I have ever seen." Quite a beginning,but it did not throw this social worker.

He used situational humor to join the re-sistance. He rephed "My looks are really thatbad, huh?" The youngster replied, "Worsethan bad!" "Well, because you think I'm uglyand we have to work together, would it helpif I went into the closet for about flve minutesso that you will not have to look at me?" Theyoungster looked confused, smiled, and re-sponded that it would help a great deal. Theworker went into the closet (large space witha light and a chair) and before shutting thedoor suggested that if the boy needed any-thing to let him know. After five minutes, theworker inquired if the youngster could getused to his looks. And when the youngstersuggested that he was still ugly, the socialworker retumed to his closet. At the end ofthe session, the worker left the closet and saidthat it was time to go and that he hoped theboy had found the session helpful. The young-ster looked bewildered and left.

The social worker envisioned the subse-quent conversation between the youngster andhis parents.

Parent: "What did you and Mr. Kelly talkabout?"

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Youngster: "Talk? We didn't talk. He satin the closet the whole time."

Parent: "If you don't want to tell me, justsay so, but don't say such ridiculous things."

Youngster: "CaU him if you don't beUeveme."

The mother did call and was surprised tohear that her son was telling the tmth.

The second session followed a similarscript. The youngster announced that theworker was still ugly and would appreciatehis returning to the closet. (The social workerwas becoming anxious and his self-doubtsincreased) However, by the third session, theyoungster stated, "You know, you are notquite as ugly as I thought at first. You don'thave to go to the closet today, but could youlook out the window so that I don't have tolook at your face." In a Rodney Dangerfieldvoice (connoting not being appreciated), theworker responded, "I get no respect." Theyoungster laughed, their conversation began,and shortly thereafter he began to discuss hisUfe troubles.

Using Ethnic Humor to Ease Tensionand Overcome ObstaclesIllustration 3: My student, an Irish

American middle-aged woman, was assignedto work with Mr. Kennedy, a 62-year-oldIrish-American widower who was forced toretire on complete disability because of se-vere diabetes.̂ One leg was in a cast foUow-ing a fall at a local city hospital when he at-tempted to get off an examining table wherehe had been left unattended. Mr. Kennedywas then placed in a shelter because a firehad destroyed most of his home and all of hisclothing. Mr. Kennedy was in the hotel fortwo weeks when the Department of SocialService worker informed him that he wouldhave to attend a hearing the following weekto determine his eligibility for an extension.He cursed and yelled that he didn't intend togo to any hearing. "I've worked hard all myUfe, paid my taxes. I am not going to any

meeting." After this outburst, he asked if theshelter had "a social worker Uke in the hospi-tal." He wanted to see a social worker andsee what she could do to "help me with youdamned people."

The student agreed to help him stay inthe shelter while he was on cmtches and un-able to look for an apartment. She agreed itmust be hard to go up and down the stairs oncmtches and told him that she would requesta fair hearing and try to have it held close tothe shelter. She called the Hearing Office torequest a hearing at the shelter because ofMr. Kennedy's physical condition. The stu-dent could not reach Mr. Kennedy by tele-phone, so she left a note in his mail box ap-prising him ofthe new date. When the daycame, Mr. Kennedy did not arrive. She caUedhim but did not receive an answer. The fol-lowing moming Mr. Kennedy arrived at theworker's office for the first scheduled meet-ing. She felt annoyed and the following con-versation ensued:

/ asked Mr. Kennedy why hehad not come the previous day, andhe looked puzzled. I asked him ifhe received my note. He said thathe had gotten some paper in hisbox, but didn't know what it wasabout. I continued by asking if hehad read it. He said that he didn'thave his glasses with him thatmorning. I kept asking if he hadread the note later in the day. Mr.Kennedy became fidgety andlooked quite uncomfortable. Hisface was red, he looked angry, andhe started yelling. 'I am sick andtired of this bullshit—you are justlike all the others asking me to dothings I can't do for myself. ' Ipointed out that I had found a moreconvenient location for the hear-ing for him, and all I asked him todo was to get himself to the hear-

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ing on the right day.

Mr. Kennedy grabbed his cmtches, stoodup, glared at me and blurted 'Look you dumbsocial worker...I've been trying to tell you ICAN'T READ ! ' As he walked out he yelledback, 'I don't give a... about the hearing,you can all go to hell. '

The social work student realized that Mr.Kennedy probably would not retum to meetwith her. So, she went up to his room:

When Mr. Kennedy asked whowas knocking, I told him my nameand that I wanted to talk to him.He yelled, 'Go back to your officebefore you freeze out there. 'I said.Look, Billy, there's a bullheadedIrish lass on the outside of this doorwho can be just as stubborn as thebullheaded Irish bloke on the in-side. So, you better open the doorbefore the two ofus make a holyshow of ourselves. ' With that, thedoor opened wide and Mr. Kennedystood there laughing. 'Well, now, 'he said, 'I guess there's still a littleof the old sod in you after all... ''Well, now,, I said mimicking him,'I guess you are not the onlyIrishman who kissed the BlarneyStone either. 'We both laughed andhe invited me to sit down and havea 'good cup of tea. '

As we drank the tea, there wassome tension in the air. ¡broke thesilence by saying, 'I am sorry aboutthe other day, I am sorry that I

didn't listen to you and hear whatyou were saying, and I am sorrythat I was impatient. I really wantto try to help you and hope you willgive me another chance. ' He im-mediately answered that if anyoneshould be sorry, it should be himwith his 'trashy mouth and rottentemper. 'He apologized for cursingat me and explained that he wasupset because it was hard for himto let anyone know that he can'tread. He told me that he is veryashamed and feels like a dummy.

The common Irish ethnicity lent specialmeaning to tiie worker's use of situational eth-nic humor. Laughter eased the tension andhelped them overcome the obstacles in theirwork. Subsequently, tiie student helped Mr.Kennedy to grieve for the death ofhis wifeand for the loss ofhis home. She also con-nected him with a reading teacher. Ultimately,it was the student's use ofhumor that led to abreakthrough in tiie quality and deptii of theirwork.

Using Humor to Soften Taboo AreasIllustration 4: A social worker was re-

cruiting members for a post operative car-diac group. She leamed from a nurse thatJohn, a blue collar worker, was anxious aboutpossible impotence and was becoming in-creasingly depressed. He had been unable todiscuss his concerns with the physician. Aftervarious efforts to reach for his concems, theworker dealt with the awkward silences be-tween them by using a metaphor and askingwith a smñe, "Are you worried about whetherthe lead has run out of your pencil?" He re-sponded with laughter and tears, and a frankdiscussion followed Humor relieved his anxi-ety and embarrassment.

Using Ethnic Humor to Relieve TensionIllustration 5: A Jewish couple in their

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forties sought help with marital problemswhich were related to a decrease in thehusband's sexual drive. He was obsessed withthoughts that his wife was looking at othermen. Her adamant denials were met witii fur-ther accusations. The tension between themwas escalating and neither could hear theotiier. The Jewish social worker told tiiem thefollowing joke using a Yiddish accent to gettheir attention and to help them Msten to eachother.

An 80-year-old Jewish couple,Sadie and Harry, were having dailyflghts with loud shouting. Every-one in the apartment house couldhear them. Harry decided he wouldget Sadie real good. He ran intothe courtyard and shouted up soeveryone could hear: "I had youbevore ve vere married! " Sadie puther head out the window andlaughingly yelled back: "You vasn 'tthe only one! "

The couple howled with delight and fi-nally began to listen to each other

Using Humor to Improve Prohlem-Solving and Self-Exploration

Illustration 6: A social work studentwas working with a group of elderly mem-bers who complained about loss of memorybut resisted developing compensatory mecha-nisms for remembering. To encourage mem-bers to write things down, she told ajokewith an obvious message.

Barry and Selma visited theirdoctor and Selma complainedabout her husband's memoryloss— "He goes to the store and al-ways forgets several things I tellhim to buy. " The doctor urgedBarry to write things down and togo shopping with a list: "This way

your wife will stop complainingand you will feel better about your-self. " That night while they werewatching television, Selma went toget some ice-cream. Barry askedfor vanilla and told Selma to writedown the name of the flavor. Sheleft the room and reassured himthat she would not forget. Barrytold her that he also wanted a littlechocolate sauce and that sheshould write that down so as notto forget. "I won't forget!" she re-plied in an annoyed voice. A fewmore steps and Selma heard, "Andput some nuts on it and write itdown so you don't forget. " "Iwon 't forget! " she respondedsharply. Selma retumed, handingBarry a bagel. Barry yells, "See,you forgot the cream cheese! "

The members laughed and began to dis-cuss what memory loss meant to them.

ConclusionGentle humor can help in the formation

of a therapeutic relationship. Appropriate hu-mor demonstrates understanding and invitesfiirther discussion. When chents are stuck intiieir perceptions, tiiinking, and verbalizations,humor can help them to look at tiieir situationin a new way and invite self-reflection. Hu-mor also helps both in dealing with client andworker and with family and group members 'interpersonal strains and obstacles. In explor-ing taboo areas, humor can relieve anxiety orembarrassment and ease suffering.

Humor is a creative tool that must be useddifferentially based on client background, levelof functioning, and specific situation. Theworker's natural style and comfort must alsobe taken into account. Humor cannot beforced or over used. In using humor, theworker should be willing to take risks and beprepared to make a mistake and then to openly

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deal with it. Similarly, the worker also mustbe prepared for the cUent to use humor. Whenthe worker is poked fun at, she or he musthave the capacity to laugh at him or herself. Irecall conducting a workshop for about 200professionals. Aparticipant asked a question,and I asked her to stand. When she replied,"I am," I became quite anxious as I thought Ihad offended a vertically challenged person.I then realized that she was having fun withme and was, in fact, sitting. The ensuing laugh-ter and my sharing my anxiety made the par-ticipants much more willing to risk themselves,and the work was considerably advanced.

References

• Bowles, D. D. ( 1994). Black humor as self-afBrmation. Joumal of Multicultural SocialWork, 3(2), 1-10.

• Freud, S. (1960). Jokes and their rela-tion to the unconscious (J. Strachey, Trans.).New York: Norton. (Original workpubUshed1905)

• Freud, S. (1928). Humour. IntemationalJoumal of Psychoanalysis, 9,1-6. Gitterman,A. 1998. The president's pen. Social Work withGroups Newsletter, 14(2),l-3.

• Gitterman, A. (1996). The Life Model ofSocial Work Practice: Advances in Theoryand Practice. New York: Columbia Univer-sity Press.

• Gordon, D. R. (1998). Humor in Afiican-American discourse: Speaking of oppression.Joumal of Black Studies, 29(2), 254-276.

• Haig, R. A. (1986). Therapeutic uses ofhumor. American Journal of Psycho-therapy, XL(4), 543-553.

• Huxtable, M. (1989). Humor in children'scounseling. Social Work in Education,

11(3),184-193.

•PolUo, D. E. (1995). Use ofhumor in crisisintervention. Families in Society, 76(6), 376-384.

•Richman, J. (1995). The Ufesaving functionsofhumor with the depressed and suicidal eld-erly. Gerontologist, 35,271-273.

• Siporin, M. (1984). Have you heard theone about social work humor? Social Case-work, 65(8), 459-464.

• Suis, J. M. (1983). Cognitive processes inhumor appreciation. In P. E. McGhee & J.H.Goldstein (Eds.), Handbook of Humor Re-search: Basic Issues (Vol. 1). (pp. 39-57).New York: Springer-Verlag.

•Tuttman, S. 1991. Onutüizing humor in groiçpsychotherapy. Grow/», 15,246-256.

•Wyer, R. S., & CoUins, J. E. (1992). A theoryofhumor elicitation. Psychological Review,99(4), 663-688.

Endnotes'Haig (1986) attributes to Freud thecharacterization of "humour that smilesthrough tears." p. 544

"outsider" would tell the same joke,ethnic group members might feel disparaged.Bowles (1994) states, "A sense of communityis fundamental to appreciating tiie creator'sintent, and to the ability to identify with thehumorist's marginal position in relation todominant society that s/he is ridiculing" (p.2).However, when the humor is exaggerated, aswe leamed from tiie Archie Bunker characterin "All in the Family," humor cushions thedevastating impact of oppression - it demeansthe demeaner.

3 Adapted from Gitterman 1996, pp. 306-310.

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