This
book analyses how humour in political activism contributes to facilitating
outreach, mobilisation and the sustaining of cultures of resistance. Drawing
on examples of attention-grabbing stunts from around the world, Humour in
Political Activism demonstrates how they succeed in turning relations of
power upside down.
The
ambiguity and unpredictability of humour, Sørensen argues, makes it difficult
to respond to this form of political activism when it is performed in
public. Humorous political stunts can therefore challenge state power,
help influence changes in law and make significant contributions to the
conversations about how societies should be organised.
The
book also investigates the potential risks and limitations of using humour in
nonviolent action and what makes humour unique compared with other forms of
non-humorous political activism.