What does this research mean for the field?

Workplace humour among Australian construction apprentices is often aggressive and discriminatory, functioning as a mechanism of social control and gendered differentiation that creates harmful psychological and physical risks. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to understand the nature and social functions of humour among apprentices in the Australian construction industry, focusing on health and safety implications.

June 6, 2026Safety ScienceOpen Access

When humour hurts: The experience, social functions and consequences of humour for apprentices in Australian construction workplaces

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

HLHelen LingardRMIT University RZRita Peihua ZhangMIT University JCJack ClarkeRMIT University

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Qualitative research explores the harmful effects of workplace humour on Australian construction apprentices, suggesting necessary interventions.

Key Points

This research aims to understand the nature and social functions of humour among apprentices in the Australian construction industry, focusing on health and safety implications.
Conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 apprentices in Australian construction settings.
Used inductive and iterative coding of qualitative data to identify common themes regarding humour experiences.
Apprentices reported aggressive and discriminatory humour, often involving profanity and sexual harassment.
Humour served to create group identity while differentiating apprentices from other workers, notably through gendered dynamics.
Observations indicated that humour can act as a control mechanism, pressuring apprentices to conform to a masculine joking culture.

Cite This Study

Lingard et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a23b8f271a5da9775e74fbe https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2026.107312

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Implication

Qualitative research explores the harmful effects of workplace humour on Australian construction apprentices, suggesting necessary interventions.

When humour hurts: The experience, social functions and consequences of humour for apprentices in Australian construction workplaces

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

When humour hurts: The experience, social functions and consequences of humour for apprentices in Australian construction workplaces

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider