Leticia Neria PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText ...

Acknowledgments
After so many years researching humour and Mexican history, there are many people to
thank. Each has helped and supported me in their own way, and all were necessary for
this PhD to succeed. First of all, I want to thank my friend and partner Mark Aspinwall,
who has supported me all these years, not only personally but also academically. He
was patient and interested, and was always ready to discuss every part of this thesis. His
enthusiasm and love were catalysts, and without him, this research would not have been
finished. I am very lucky to have such a fantastic academic, friend and partner by my
side.
I also want to thank my family. My mother Leticia, my father Armando, and my
brother Armando have always supported and trusted me. Despite the distance and the
many crazy ideas I have come up with through the years, they never hesitated in their
belief that I could achieve what I intended. I am the luckiest person in the world for
having such a fantastic family. There are no words to describe how much I love them
and need them to achieve my goals.
This research was supervised by Will Fowler, who made the whole process
enjoyable. Even during moments of frustration and difficulty, his advice helped me
academically. That help will remain with me for life.
The final edition of this dissertation was greatly improved thanks to the
discussion that emerged during the examination process. Two great academics read it in
full: Bernard Bentley and Rebecca Earle. Their comments helped me strengthen it
considerably, and their advice help form my thinking in further papers.
I also want to thank Álvaro Vázquez, who helped me discover this interesting
topic. It became not simply my PhD research topic but also my obsession.