Minor Genre: Jokes 

Text: Why can’t you trust an atom? Because they make everything up

Context: My informant has a strong relationship with this joke because it applies to the subject matter he is studying. He mentioned that he likes it when humor aligns with his daily life, and as an aerospace engineering major, he finds this joke entertaining. My informant first heard this joke from his ninth-grade physics teacher, who told it to the class. He said that it stuck with him since then and has made a reappearance in his academic career. Because of this, he feels like this joke has accomplished a full circle moment in his life and will continue to be relevant in his future employment. My informant mentioned that he uses this joke when talking to his fellow peers in a science setting. He said humor is a good way to make them laugh or cringe and create an initial friendship. However, when I asked him about it, he said he would use it outside of a science setting if it were around his friends. 

Analysis: In general, jokes fit into a specific cultural setting and make sense to those participating in that culture. For example, in the United States, most jokes like this tend to have a punch line at the end. This is typical of  American jokes, and for people growing up in this culture, it would not make sense to have a punch line at the start of a joke. Additionally, humor is key in social relationships, and as my informant mentioned, he uses this joke in science settings. This is because it is a science-related joke, and if he uses it in a science crowd, he is most likely to gain approval from them and be welcomed into their group. In this case, my informant is an active bearer by telling this joke to others in the engineering department. Still, he could also be a passive bearer by correcting someone if they say the joke incorrectly.