Call for Papers | Packing a Punch: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Humour and Power
Packing a Punch: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Humour and Power
St Hugh’s College
University of Oxford
5 & 6 February 2027
Call for Papers:
Is it ever just a joke? Laughter can legitimise authority, unsettle hierarchies, forge collective identities, expose the limits of power. Humour can ignite debate, foster apathy, solidify ‘in’ and ‘out’ groups. It can evoke a whole host of emotional responses beyond amusement: joy, harmony, relief, but also scorn, discomfort, fear. In short, the meanings in and of humour are far from straightforward. There is power in humour and humour in power, too.
This interdisciplinary conference—timed to coincide with the exhibition Yesterday’s Tomorrow: The Political Cartoons of Ella Baron (White Box, Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities)—invites contributions that examine the complex relationships between humour and power across academic disciplines, historical periods, cultural contexts, and media forms. We are particularly interested in the ambiguity and instability of humour. We welcome papers from across the humanities and social sciences, including but not limited to literature, history, philosophy, media and cultural studies, sociology, political theory, linguistics, anthropology, and performance studies. Contributions can address a wide range of topics. Possible themes and questions include:
- The role of satire, parody, and irony in public discourse
- The dangers of overestimating or underestimating humour
- Laughter, legitimacy, and the performance of authority
- Humour in the context of inequality
- Digital humour, memes, and platform politics
- Humour in an age of AI
- Humour in institutional or professional contexts
- Theories and methodologies for studying humour across disciplines
- Humour and power in translation
- Is ‘punching up’ permissible, while ‘punching down’ impermissible?
- Why is self-deprecation so powerful in comedy?
- How do power structures influence the ethics of humour? Is the offence of a joke relative to the person who made it?
- Should people in a position of power be able to laugh at themselves?
We encourage both theoretical and empirical approaches, as well as comparative and cross-cultural perspectives. Please submit an abstract (max. 300 words) and a short biographical note (max. 150 words) by 1 September 2026.
Please send your abstracts and bios to: humournetwork@torch.ox.ac.uk.
Please note that there will be no conference fee. Attendees will be expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. A limited bursary fund is available for participants who would otherwise be unable to meet the costs associated with attending the conference. This may include graduate students, Early Career Researchers, and researchers without a permanent academic position. While we regret that we cannot guarantee bursary support, those who wish to be considered are invited to include a brief statement outlining their circumstances in the same document as their abstract and biographical note.
