When groups form, they develop their own culture from the shared meaning created from their interactions. Humor is part of every social group, and when repeatedly referenced, it forms a joking culture. The joking culture of small groups influences group processes by smoothing group interaction, forming a collective identity, separating the group from others, and securing appropriate behavior. Adventure education challenge courses include humor as part of their context; therefore, studying the joking culture of groups during challenge course experiences may provide additional insight and tools for improving group outcomes. Two ethnographic examples of continued joking from a participant observation approach are provided to demonstrate the presence of continued joking during challenge course experiences.
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