Identity work through conversational humor in affective relationships

This paper discusses the construction of identities in relationships among friends through conversational humor. It investigates the entre-lugar (CUCHE, 2002; BHABHA, [1998] 2005) of identity production in which humor and aggressiveness occupy the same frame. From the perspective of Conversation Analysis, it adopts Membership Categorization Analysis (MCA) in order to understand what is considered relevant in the negotiation of identity construction in moments of humor. The study contributes to the demonstration of conversational humor patterns in an interactional perspective, adding to important discussions about humor and identity strategies in emotional contexts. The relationships analyzed demonstrate the presence of conflict sequences (ANTAKI, 1994) with aggressive value addressed by relevance to interactional elements of humor demonstrating both group involvement, and feelings of antagonism.