LU konferencehttps://doi.org/10.22364/ilt.26.03 | 54-63 | PDF
Elvīra Šimfa
Dr. phil., Latvijas Universitātes Humanitāro zinātņu fakultātes Filozofijas un socioloģijas institūta vadošā pētniece
Smiekli un asaras: smieklīgā un skumjā izpratne Latvijas sabiedrībā un nozīme Latvijas sabiedrības saliedēšanā
Atslēgvārdi: smiekli, humors, skumjas, brīvība, ideoloģija, sabiedrības saliedētība
Laughter and Tears: The Understanding of the Comic and the Tragic in Latvian Society and Their Role in Latvian Social Cohesion
Keywords: laughter, humour, sorrow, freedom, ideology, social cohesion
It is believed that a shared laughter and understanding of what is humorous and a similar sense of humour, as well as shared sorrow, can unite members of a community. In this context, it is worth exploring how humour and tragedy, the comic and the sorrowful, differ, and what conclusions can be drawn from these differences with regard to a particular society. The article examines prominent views of the comic and the sorrowful, emphasizing the understanding of laughter as an expression of individual freedom and sovereignty. Given this understanding of laughter, there is no reason to assume that a community in which people are more united by sorrow rather than humour and laughter – as is often said about Latvian society – has a lower level of social cohesion.
Saliedētības vektori. Sast., zin. red. I. Kivle, M. Kūlis. Rīga: LU Akadēmiskais apgāds, 2026, 200 lpp.