“That's funny but…!”: University students, humor, and critical consciousness about anti‐black racism

Abstract

AbstractUsing an exploratory sample of focus groups and surveys, we captured university students' experiences of comedic/satirical videos. We mined students' feedback to determine if those videos could enhance critical perspectives/consciousness about racial inequities, especially inequities impacting Black Americans. The literature on humor overflows with psychological explanations; we are more interested in sociological explanations. We find that when students interpret comedic materials intended as springboards for university discussions about racial inequities, they pay attention to social factors. These factors include the diversity or mixed company of classrooms; the social, cultural, historical, and/or linguistic contexts in comedic/satirical performances; and the racial/ethnic identities of both the comedians and the butts of the comedians' jokes. Intersectional identities may also play a role in perceptions of marginalized and dominant group members featured in the video clips. More specifically, students are more tolerant of Black comedians poking fun at Black characters/issues or critiquing, with levity, dominant group members and structures that are sources of racial inequities, especially inequities impacting Black Americans. Appropriate attention to social factors like these may lay a foundation for comedic/satirical materials to facilitate a reading of the world that helps students to become more reflexive about social/racial injustices.