A phenomenological study on changing meanings of ridicule in different social contexts

Ridicule, as a social action, is a research subject that seems to have overlooked sociologically, although it is visible in everyday life. Given the presence of the ridicule in social interaction, socially attributed meaning to action becomes important. This study focuses on the changing meanings of ridicule, which can largely be part of everyday life, along with humour. In this phenomenological qualitative study, which aims to understand the social meaning of ridicule through the experiences of the actors, 21 participants were reached and the findings were obtained through in-depth semi-structured interviews by using semi-structured interview form. The findings obtained similarities with the approaches of Elias, Goffman and Bourdieu constitute the conceptual framework of the study. The ridicule, in the findings, is associated with Elias' approaches to civilization, Goffman's interaction strategies in everyday life and stigmatization, and finally Bourdieu's concept of symbolic violence. It is founded that ridicule is defined as social control, stigmatization and a form of violence from the perspective of the participants. It has also been concluded that ridicule has different meanings through different variables such as economic capital, age, gender, education, working status, and social contexts.