Workshop: Humour and Sexual Violence

On May 2nd, SHaME will be hosting a one-day virtual workshop examining the multiple intersections between humour and sexual violence and how they have changed over time from its use in replicating oppressive cultural norms which buttress sexual violence to its ability to subvert hierarchies of power by opening difficult conversations and its liberatory and healing potential. This closed workshop will include scholars from differing disciplines and global locations.

The juxtaposition of humour and sexual violence as objects of study seems jarring; however, as scholars such as Nicola Gavey (2005) have argued, normative discourses of (hetero)sexuality and gender provide a “cultural scaffolding” for rape and sexual violence. As a prominent mechanism through which these normative discourses are manifested and reinforced, humour provides an important lens through which to understand the cultural politics and social ideologies underpinning our collective understandings of sexual violence (Serisier, 2021). The idea of “rape culture” and the examination of structural underpinnings of sexual violence that have become increasingly prominent in the wake of the #MeToo movement provide an opportunity for scholars to use historical and interdisciplinary perspectives to consider the place of laughter in debates about sexual harm.

The workshop will be led by Dr Mara Keire, Dr Rhian Keyse, and Dr George Severs. The programme includes sessions on:

• Singular ‘literary’ sources
• ‘Advice’ literature
• Humour’s work
• Oral narratives of humour and sexual violence

Age Guidance: 18 yrs +
CLOSED EVENT – but get in touch if you want more information.