Banca de DEFESA: MATEUS SOUSA SANTOS

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MATEUS SOUSA SANTOS
DATE: 30/06/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: meet.google.com/fqf-swvf-jtb
TITLE:

Interdiscursivity, Ethos, and Stereotype in the Television Series The Office: Humor as a Critique of Neoliberalism

KEY WORDS:

Discourse analysis; The Office; Neoliberal rationality; Humor; Corporate world; Interdiscursivity; Ethos.

PAGES: 84
BIG AREA: Lingüística, Letras e Artes
AREA: Lingüística
SUBÁREA: Lingüística Aplicada
SUMMARY:

This dissertation investigates the functioning of humor as a critical discursive practice in the American version of The Office, focusing on the representation of labor relations and the critique of neoliberal rationality within the contemporary corporate environment. The research adopts a qualitative and interpretative approach grounded in Discourse Analysis studies, especially the contributions of Dominique Maingueneau, Sírio Possenti, Dardot and Laval, Vladimir Propp, and Terry Eagleton. The corpus consists of the episodes “Pilot,” “Diversity Day,” and “Health Care,” analyzed through the categories of interdiscursivity, discursive ethos, and stereotype. The analyses demonstrate that humor in the series goes beyond a merely entertaining function and operates as a mechanism of social criticism by exposing contradictions, symbolic violence, and practices of dehumanization normalized within neoliberal corporate culture. In “Pilot,” the failed construction of Michael Scott’s leadership ethos is observed; in “Diversity Day,” humor highlights tensions related to diversity and cultural stereotypes; and in “Health Care,” corporate discourses associated with productivity, competitiveness, and the precarization of labor relations are emphasized. It is concluded that comedy in The Office functions as a form of symbolic resistance by revealing, through embarrassment, irony, and parody, the discursive mechanisms that sustain power relations in the corporate world. Therefore, this research contributes to discursive studies on humor and broadens discussions concerning the relationships among media, language, and neoliberalism.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1476540 - CELLINA RODRIGUES MUNIZ
Externo ao Programa - 3943432 - JOSENILDO SOARES BEZERRA - UFRNExterno à Instituição - FRANCISCO VIEIRA DA SILVA - UFERSA