Humor and power in Algeria, 1920 to 2021 / Elizabeth M. Perego.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Perego, Elizabeth M., author.

Series:

Public cultures of the Middle East and North Africa.

Public cultures of the Middle East and North Africa

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Algerian wit and humor--Political aspects--History.

Algerian wit and humor.

Algeria--Politics and government--20th century.

Algeria.

Algeria--Politics and government--21st century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (292 pages).

Place of Publication:

Bloomington, Indiana : Indiana University Press, 2023.

Summary:

"In times of peace as well as conflict, humor has served Algerians as a tool of both unification and division. Humor has also assisted Algerians of various backgrounds and ideological leanings with engaging critically in power struggles throughout the country's contemporary history. By analyzing comedic discourse in various forms (including plays, jokes, and cartoons), Humor and Power in Algeria, 1920 to 2021 demonstrates the globally informed and creative ways that civilians have made sense of moments of victory and loss through humor. Using oral interviews and media archives in Arabic, French, and Tamazight, Elizabeth M. Perego expands on theoretical debates about humor as a tool of resistance and explores the importance of humor as an instrument of war, peace, and social memory, as well as a source for retracing volatile, contested pasts. Humor and Power in Algeria, 1920 to 2021 reveals how Algerians have harnessed humor to express competing visions for unity in a divided colonial society, to channel and process emotions surrounding a brutal war of decolonization and the forging of a new nation, and to demonstrate resilience in the face of a terrifying civil conflict"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: The Price of Humor in Algeria's "Time of Terrorism"

Side-Splitting While Nation-Forming, 1914 to the 1980s

Humor in Rebellion and Uncertain Times, 1988 to 1992

Laughing at Victims and Assailants through Popular Jokes from the Black Decade

Drawing Lines through the Ambiguities of Terror, 1992 to 1997

Cartoons "Dancing on Coffins" and Drumming Up Memory during reconciliation, 1997 to 2005

Conclusion: Remembering Algeria's 1990s Conflict and Humor over Time.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780253067630

0253067634