Black humor across cultures: France and Japan : A qualitative study of how French and Japanese adults evaluate Black Humor

Sammanfattning

The present study investigates how French and Japanese adults aged 20 to 41 define, conceptualize and evaluate black humor (BH), and how cultural contexts, personal experiences, and digital environments shape these perceptions. Through a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with individuals from both cultures. The data was analyzed with a thematic analysis. The results indicate that in both groups, BH was generally understood as containing sensitive or taboo topics (such as death, illness, tragedies and suffering); that the acceptability of BH was highly dependent on factors such as context, relational closeness, the composition of the audience. Black humor was described as dual and ambivalent in its functions which can be positive, coping and bonding, but also negative, it being a potential source of harm. Nevertheless, notable differences appeared in how BH was conceptualized and evaluated: notably French participants tended to view BH as a very familiar genre, with links to tradition of satire, freedom of expression, political critique. Japanese participants viewed it through a more situational lens, highlighting relational harmony and potential social consequences. Using theoretical frameworks as support, with facework, humor styles and a classification of dark humor functions, this study demonstrates that BH can be understood as a socially negotiated practice. The findings show that cultural differences can influence not necessarily the existence or complete absence of taboo humor, but rather how it is navigated.