Abstract

ORRICO, Fernanda Donnabella  and  ARCHANGELO, Ana. Humorous Production and Psychological Suffering: Humor in School as a Survival Device. Psic. da Ed. [online]. 2024, n.57, pp.33-41.  Epub Mar 05, 2025. ISSN 2175-3520.  https://doi.org/10.23925/2175-3520.2024i57p33-41.

This article aims to analyze the reciprocal influences between humor, suffering, and psychological survival. To do so, it will begin with a psychoanalytic reading of humor in Sigmund Freud’s works “Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious” (1905) and “Humor” (1927), as well as contemporary authors who update this discussion, such as Adilson Moreira (2019), Chaya Ostrower (2015), Ana Brancaleoni, and Daniel Kupermann (2021). This theoretical framework covers concepts such as: the unconscious, repression, psychic economy, defense mechanisms, trauma, the container-contained relationship, de-idealization, superiority theory, recreational racism, gender performativity, among others. After conceptually discussing the topic, the article presents some research data on jokes and humor produced daily in classrooms at a public school in the state of São Paulo - ranging from sixth to ninth grade in middle school - before reflecting on the potential relevance of humor as a device for psychological survival in the school setting.

Keywords : Humor; Psychoanalysis; Suffering; Survival; School.