Humour, Subjectivity and World Politics: Everyday Articulations of Identity at the Limits of Order

Alister Wedderburn's book "The Political Potential of Humour" explores the underappreciated role of humor in the making and unmaking of political subjectivities. It argues that humor can be used "parasitically" to make political claims and demands, and demonstrates how everyday practices can draw from, feed into, interrupt, and potentially transform global-political relations. The book represents the first monograph-length study on the politics of humor within International Relations and makes a timely contribution to debates about the politics of humor, subjectivity, and everyday life.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 216 pages
\n Publication date: 17 August 2021
\n Publisher: Manchester University Press
\n

In recent years, concerns about the ethical and political boundaries of comedy, satire, and irony have sparked widespread anxiety, exemplified by events such as the 2015 shootings at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris and the "locker-room banter" that defined Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. As such, it is crucial to explore the potential role of humor in international relations.

Drawing on a diverse range of literature from International Relations, literary theory, cultural studies, and sociology, Alister Wedderburn makes a compelling argument that humor plays an underappreciated role in the formation and transformation of political subjectivities. Wedderburn's book reclaims a historical understanding of humor as a means of asserting political subjectivity in the face of its denial. He identifies the ambiguous figure of the parasite as a central embodiment of this function, drawing from Greek comic drama.

Through an in-depth examination of three distinct sites where political actors have employed humor "parasitically" to make political claims and demands, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of humor's political potential and limitations. It sheds light on how everyday practices can draw from, feed into, interrupt, and potentially transform global-political relations.

As the first monograph-length study on the politics of humor within International Relations, this book makes a timely contribution to ongoing debates about the politics of humor, subjectivity, and everyday life. Wedderburn's insightful analysis provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between humor, power, and politics, and offers a fresh perspective on the ways in which humor can shape and influence international relations.

\n Weight: 404g\n
Dimension: 147 x 222 x 20 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781526150691\n \n