Fireman's humour: culture and processing What role does humour play within the fire service culture in general and specifically when dealing with major incidents? Researcher Karin Dangermond/NL investigated this as part of her PhD research. The article with the results was published in HUMOR International Journal of Humour Research.

What role does humour play within the fire service culture in general and specifically when dealing with major incidents? Researcher Karin Dangermond investigated this as part of her PhD research. The article with the results was published in HUMOR International Journal of Humour Research.

The research shows that making jokes and joviality are important elements of the Dutch fire service culture. Dangermond says: "Fire service humour usually creates unity, but it can also lead to exclusion. Whether a joke is experienced as such depends on who is making the joke, the moment, the content and the frequency of the joke. My research shows that black humour is used as a way to start a conversation and to (indirectly) make emotions negotiable. This usually has a positive impact on group dynamics." However, black humour appears to be lacking in certain major incidents: "This is because of personal boundaries and unwritten rules. When humour is lacking, this is a sign for a officer-in-charge to pay extra attention to dealing with the incident", according to the researcher.

Read the article in HUMOR International Journal of Humor Research:

"If it stops, then I'll start worrying." Humor as part of the fire service culture, specifically as part of coping with critical incidents

[Source: IFV Netherlands]