Humor as Social Critique (eBook, PDF)

Widening the African Perspective
Redaktion: Donian, Jennalee; Hurst, Andrea

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

This interdisciplinary collection by Jennalee Donian and Andrea Hurst brings together insights from various humanities disciplines to examine humor's role in navigating complex political, cultural, and personal landscapes. Humor as Social Critique: Widening the African Perspective explores how humor functions as a powerful tool for social critique in the African context. Part I delves into humor's relationship with political critique, analyzing how comedians, writers, and artists use humor to resist oppressive power structures and foster dialogue. Part II examines humor's potential for socio-cultural critique, exploring how it reflects and shapes cultural norms, identities, and power dynamics. Part III investigates the role of humor in self-critique, highlighting its therapeutic potential and ability to promote humility and self-awareness. By centering African perspectives while engaging with global voices, Humor as Social Critique challenges the notion that humor is a uniquely localized phenomenon. Instead, it celebrates humor's ability to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, enriching the tapestry of human experience. This book offers valuable insights for scholars and readers interested in the intersections of humor, culture, and social justice.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury eBooks US
• Seitenzahl: 272
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. September 2025
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781978749320
• Artikelnr.: 75302234

Autorenporträt

Jennalee Donian is NIHSS-ISCIA post-doctoral fellow at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. Andrea Hurst is Professor of Philosophy and the NRF SARChI Chair (ISCIA) at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction: Humor
Critique
and the African Context
Jennalee Donian (Nelson Mandela University
South Africa) and Andrea Hurst (Nelson Mandela University
South Africa) Part I: Humor and Political Critique 1. Deflating Populist Bubbles: From Satirical Irony to Good-Humored Resistance
Christopher Allsobrook (University of Fort Hare
South Africa) 2. "Laughtivistic" Webcomics: The Virtual Carnival of Liminal Spaces
Dina Oleimy (The American University in Cairo
Egypt) 3. "Guys
we are Called for a Family Meeting": Humor
Family Metaphor
and the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa
Robin K. Crigler (Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study
South Africa) 4. The Africanist Presence in the Double Satire of Warren Beatty's Bulworth
Rodney Taveira (University of Sydney
Australia) Part II: Humor and Socio-Cultural Critique 5. Exploring Incongruency
Superiority
and Relief in Trevor Noah's Born a Crime
Alfred Schaffer (Stellenbosch University
South Africa) and Aletta Simpson (Stellenbosch University
South Africa) 6. "Humor Midwifery" and the Power of the "HumPract" on African Social Media
Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju (University of Ilorin
Nigeria) and Ibukun Osuolale-Ajayi (University of Ilorin
Nigeria) 7. Laughing at Religion: Humor as a Vehicle for a Secular Spirituality
Patrick Giddy (University of KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa) 8. Weapons and Tools: Toward a Differential Analysis of Humor
Ian Buchanan (University of Wollongong
Australia) Part III: Humor and Self-Critique 9. "The Wit-Machine" and the Shift from Critical Thinking to Complexity Thinking
Andrea Hurst (Nelson Mandela University
South Africa) and Jennalee Donian (Nelson Mandela University
South Africa) 10. The Ethical Value of Njakiri
Lawrence Ogbo Ugwuanyi (University of Abuja
Nigeria) 11. How to Fail: Stepping into the Clown
Klara Van Wyk (University of Cape Town
South Africa) and Abigail Wiese (Nelson Mandela University
South Africa) Conclusion: The Power of Humor
Jennalee Donian (Nelson Mandela University
South Africa) Index About the Contributors