Affiliation:
1. Istanbul Ticaret University, Turkey
2. Marmara University, Turkey
Abstract
At first glance, humor and the weighty issues that social entrepreneurs aim to address might seem like unlikely companions. However, studies have illuminated humor’s potent ability to shift attitudes and catalyze change. This research examines the incorporation of humor by social entrepreneurs in their TED Talks, analyzing its use across a sample of 114 presentations. Of these, 69 humor-inclusive talks were scrutinized to identify the target, methods, and underlying intentions of humor. From this thematic analysis, six primary themes emerged:
self-disparaging
,
cause of the social problem
,
problem-specific
,
solution-oriented
,
beneficiary-focused
, and
other
.