Humour and meaning. Selected aspects of humour in culture

As this collection of monographs attests, humour is not a simple tool or device solely for the purposes of entertainment and although it can be divisive it can also unite or transcend differences. Humour is embedded in language and thought, and even helps shape our relationships. In short, it plays an important part in our understanding and in the shaping of individual and cultural identity. Ultimately, it is a key element of human intelligence and crucial to what it means to be human.