John Christopher Hughes Davies was a British sociologist and professor emeritus at the University of Reading. His prolific writing explored criminology, the sociology of morality, censorship, and humour. Davies brought an international perspective to his work, having lectured as a visiting professor in India, Poland, the United States, and Australia. His academic contributions shed light on complex social phenomena through a sociological lens.
Focusing on individual cases, this book explores the human impact of wrongful imprisonment while providing a broader analysis of the systemic issues that lead to such injustices. Through detailed accounts, it reveals the complexities surrounding wrongful convictions and the factors contributing to these failures within the legal system.
Jokes and Targets takes up an appealing and entertaining topic—the social and historical origins of jokes about familiar targets such as rustics, Jewish spouses, used car salesmen, and dumb blondes. Christie Davies explains why political jokes flourished in the Soviet Union, why Europeans tell jokes about American lawyers but not about their own lawyers, and why sex jokes often refer to France rather than to other countries. One of the world's leading experts on the study of humor, Davies provides a wide-ranging and detailed study of the jokes that make up an important part of everyday conversation.
The narrative explores the transformation of Britain in the latter half of the twentieth century, highlighting the decline of respectability and religious values. It delves into the societal issues of violence, dishonesty, and the pervasive risks to individuals and property. The story also addresses the widespread breakdown of families and the alarming increase in drug and alcohol abuse, painting a grim picture of a society in turmoil.
Frontmatter -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Fooltowns: Traditional and modern Local, regional and ethnic jokes about stupidity -- Chapter 3. From the Milesians to the Milesians: The Irish-Pontian joke, its history and its absence in China and Japan -- Chapter 4. The Protestant ethic and the comic spirit of capitalism -- Chapter 5. Stupidity and rationality: Jokes from the iron cage -- Chapter 6. Humour for the future and a future for humour -- Chapter 7. Ethnic jokes about alcohol: A study of the humour of ambivalence -- Chapter 8. “Nasty” legends, “sick” humour and ethnic jokes about stupidity -- Chapter 9. Making fun of work: Humour as sociology in the humorous writings of H. G. Wells -- Chapter 10. Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Index