The Role of Humor in the Relationship between Clients and Therapists with Different Cultural Backgrounds
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Authors
Ethem, Pembe
Issue Date
2019
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
"Humor","Qualitative Research","Cultural Awareness"
Alternative Title
Abstract
As indicated by several studies (e.g., VanRyn & Fu, 2003; Dovidio et al., 2009; Krieger et al., 2010; Hall et al., 2015; Green et al., 2007; Cooper et al., 2012), there appear to be significant health and mental health disparities in services provided to people of color compared to white people in the United States, mainly attributed to implicit bias on the part of healthcare service providers. While humor is often used to build rapport and "grease the wheels of communication" in healthcare settings (Hodson & MacInnis, 2016; Martin et al., 2003, Proyer, Wellenzohn, & Ruch, 2014), the use of humor can contribute to the power of implicit bias by allowing providers to disconnect from their power roles, express prejudice in a socially acceptable way, and silence those who feel victimized by the humor use (Hodson & MacInnis, 2016; Linsday, 2014; Maio, Olson, & Bush, 1997; Strain, Martens, & Saucier, 2016). Although the examination of humor in psychotherapy tends to be sparse, it continues to be an area of exploration that has attracted attention in psychotherapy. There is little evidence to indicate therapists' awareness of these particular power dynamics when working with clients and patients who are culturally different from the therapist. Therefore, this study is intended to examine further therapists' insight towards appropriate humor use and how humor has affected their lives by interviewing licensed psychotherapists and exploring their personal uses of humor, how they developed their therapeutic styles, and how humor is used with clients and patients who are culturally different from the therapist while providing implications for further areas of research and clinical focus.