Comparative Analysis of Family Anecdotes in English and Uzbek Languages

Abstract

Humor plays a vital role in cultural discourse, particularly within the context of family relationships, where it helps mediate values, expectations, and social norms. In English and Uzbek cultures, family anecdotes offer distinct windows into societal attitudes toward marriage, parenting, and gender roles. While numerous studies have examined humor cross-culturally, there remains limited comparative research focusing specifically on family-oriented anecdotes in these two linguistic and cultural spheres. This article aims to perform a comparative analysis of English and Uzbek family anecdotes to uncover how each culture employs humor to reflect family dynamics and societal values. The findings reveal that Uzbek anecdotes often emphasize traditional gender roles, marital expectations, and generational communication gaps, using situational absurdity and irony. English anecdotes, on the other hand, frequently reflect themes of personal autonomy and intergenerational irony, with humor derived from logical paradoxes and everyday misunderstandings. The study’s originality lies in its cultural juxtaposition of everyday humorous narratives, revealing how anecdotal humor serves as both a mirror and mediator of cultural values in different societies. These insights not only deepen our understanding of cultural humor and its functions but also highlight the role of narrative in negotiating social identity, familial roles, and intercultural awareness. The study contributes to both linguistic and cultural discourse analyses by framing humor as a cross-cultural communicative strategy.