Sweden - Stanford || Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Video Conference || February 17, 2010
Activity: What’s So Funny? Humor, race, class and gender at Stanford University and Patrik
Mehren’s/Håkan Möller´s Public Speaking class at Uppsala University will meet for a one-time
videoconference. In groups, students will discuss doxa, humor, gender and socio-economic class
from a cross cultural perspective. All will learn how to use ICT for global communication.
I. Getting connected. 18:10 - 18:15 / 9:10- 9:15am (5 Minutes)
Location: Marratech room A (http://switchboard.stanford.edu)
Each group connects to the virtual conference room A above. Cameras should be turned on,
microphones turned off. Conversations through the chatbox, lower right hand corner.
II. Welcome and Introductory Remarks. 18:15-18:25/ 9:15-9:25am, (10 minutes)
Location: Marratech room A (http://switchboard.stanford.edu)
Presenters: Helle Rytkønen, Stanford University; Patrik Mehrens, Uppsala University.
Introduction to the purpose of today’s activities.
III. Small Group Work. 18.30-18.40/ 9.30-9.40, (10 minutes)
Location: Groups A, B, C, D: CCR Group Rooms at (http://switchboard.stanford.edu)
Activity: Introduce yourselves to each other and share your favorite joke or stand up comedy clip.
Goal: To get to know each other and to discuss whether your favorite humor translates across
cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Instructions: Use “Switching Marratech Rooms Instruction Sheet” to switch to your small group
room.
IV. Small Group Work. 18.40-19.15/ 9.40-10.15, (35 minutes)
Location: Groups A, B, C, D: CCR Group Rooms at (http://switchboard.stanford.edu)
Activity: Watch the following clips at the same time:

“Beautiful Girl with a Beard:" http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7049839665652534220&q=beautiful+woman+with+beard&total=26&start=0&num=10&so
=0&type=search&plindex=0

"Dove – Evolution:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U

“How to Shower: Men vs. Women:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qehxjub5lyo
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CCR Video Conference: February 17, 2010
Goal: To discuss possible gender and cultural differences. Note that you may find that you’re
sometimes sharing traits, chores, preferences, ideals, norms and values (doxa) with fellow students
from your university, and, at other times, the similarities and differences may run along gender or
other lines.
Instructions:
1) Watch the clips in your groups at each university (links are on the workshop page)
2) Get together with the “other” side to discuss the clips and pay attention to doxa (norms,
values) and discuss which expectations you are met with as a woman/man in your culture.
Your discussion can both be about your daily life but it could also be about the future. How
do you imagine your life in 5, 10, 25 years? Do you plan to marry (in Sweden, same-sex
marriage is legal) and if so, what are your expectations of how to divide the labor in the
marriage? If not, why not?
3) Write up a “daily (or weekly) schedule” in which you highlight both the commonalities in
your daily routines and the differences. For example, Stanford students may never have to
clean their bathrooms or cook as they live in dorms where other people take care of this.
Similarly, the men in both Sweden and at Stanford may be expected to do different chores
than the women (or maybe not).
4) If you have time, find illustrations for your list. Save the document as a word document on
the desktop at the Stanford computer.
5) Pick a presenter. You will be presenting it to the larger group at the end of this session.
IV. Reporting back in virtual conference 19.25-19.45/ 10.25-10.45 (20 minutes)
Location: Marratech room A (http://switchboard.stanford.edu)
Each group connects to the virtual conference room A above.
Each group shares their piece of humor. Other groups can ask questions.
Helle and Patrik give brief concluding remarks.