About AHSN
In July 1996, the International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS) held its 15th Conference on Humour and Laughter at the University of New South Wales, Sydney (co-chairs: Dr J. Milner Davis, J. McCallum). It brought together 120 delegates from around the world and was opened by a highly (im)plausible Humor Scholar aka Australian impersonator, Campbell McComas (Hon D.Litt. UNSW). Comedy Awards made to McComas, Ruth Cracknell and Ernie Dingo, and to Barrie Humphries (in absentia) attracted wide media interest, as did many academic papers on humour research and practical workshops in a wide variety of disciplines (eg psychology, education, medicine, literature).
The success of the Australian Conference led the 1996 ISHS President, Jessica Milner Davis, to propose the establishment of the Australasian Humour Scholars (now Studies) Network (AHSN), initially hosted by UNSW. AHSN was designed as a loose network to link Australian and New Zealand humour scholars and practitioners in different academic and geographical locations. From 40 members in 1997 and 10 different disciplines, AHSN has grown rapidly and in 2006, the e-mailing list for the 11th Annual Colloquium comprised 150 scholars and practitioners in more than 20 different academic disciplines and professions. Members are principally from Australia and New Zealand, with some from S-E Asia and further afield.
An important function of the Network is to offer support to isolated research students dealing with humour-related topics. Each year’s Colloquium offers a Post-Graduate Section (eg in 2008, 9 presentations from research students in English, Psychology, Political Science, Marketing, Linguistics, Art History and Theatre Studies). The membership of the colloquium provides students with feedback and advice by scholars working on humour from many different perspectives.
Members of the AHSN Review Panel, 2007- 09
Psychology and Health
- Prof. Carmen Moran, Charles Sturt University
- Dr David Rawlings, University of Melbourne
- Dr Bruce Findlay, Swinburne University of Technology
- Ms Maren Rawlings, Swinburne University of Technology
Linguistics
- Dr Ruth Wajnryb, LARA - Language & Research Associates
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
- Em. Scientia Prof. Conal Condren, FAHA FASSA Centre for the History of European Discourses, University of Queensland
- Prof. Michael Ewans FAHA, University of Newcastle
- Assoc. Prof. Robert Phiddian, Flinders Humanities Research Centre
- Assoc. Prof. Haydon Manning, Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Flinders University
- Dr Jessica Milner Davis, University of Sydney
Management and Practice
- Rodney Marks, Comedian, “Hoaxes and Jokeses”
Australian AHSN members at 2006 ISHS Conference, Copenhagen.