Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Associate Professor, Department of History, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction
Exploring the political life of the masses has received relatively little attention. The few existing studies on the political behavior of ordinary people have largely focused on moments of rebellion and violent confrontation with governments. This has created the impression that the masses lacked political action during other periods, particularly in times of apparent calm between the government and the public. Yet, a closer look at popular political culture reveals that the people were in constant, if less visible, conflict with various dimensions of government actions. One notable example is the creation and circulation of political jokes. This form of popular culture cannot be confined to a particular historical moment but has persisted throughout different regimes. This raises important questions: What function do these jokes have in the masses’ confrontation with the ruling elites? And through the act of narrating such jokes, which strategies of power are the people attempting to undermine in order to resist domination? Applying the theory of hidden transcripts, the present study sought to identify the general forms of resistance employed by subaltern groups against ruling elites. Establishing connections between political jokes and the elements of this theory can help construct a more nuanced picture of the political behavior of the masses as reflected in these jokes.
Literature Review
Several studies have previously analyzed political jokes, including “Wit and Politics: An Essay on Laughter and Power” (Speier, 1998), “Social Dimensions of Stalinist Rule: Humor and Terror in the USSR, 1935–1941” (Thurston, 1991), “Jokes as the Truth About Soviet Socialism” (Christie, 2010), “The Life and Times of Ceausescu Jokes” (Galvan, 2019), and “Political Humor in a Dictatorial State: The Case of Spain (Pi-Sunyer, 1977). However, to date, no research has examined political jokes across different countries through the lens of hidden transcripts theory.
Materials and Methods
This research used a descriptive–explanatory method. The data included political jokes collected from different countries. The analysis and interpretation of these jokes were conducted through the perspectives of theorists such as James C. Scott, Mikhail Bakhtin, and Sigmund Freud. Specifically, Scott’s theory of hidden transcripts formed the core of analytical framework.
Results and Discussion
The research used Scott’s theory of hidden transcripts as the main theoretical framework. Scott, renowned for his studies on the political behavior of subalterns, emphasizes the often non-violent forms of resistance employed by the masses, particularly in periods of apparent calm between the ruling and the ruled. His theory explains the structured ways in which subordinates respond—both openly and covertly, through words and actions—to dominant groups. In addition to Scott’s perspective, the analysis drew on Sigmund Freud’s insights in Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious and Mikhail Bakhtin’s views on the role of humor in popular culture. According to the findings, the diversity and abundance of these jokes demonstrate that they serve multiple purposes. By circulating them, the masses attempt, first, to neutralize the efforts of those in power to exert domination in three domains: material, dignitary, and ideological. Second, they try to challenge various aspects of the government’s official narrative. Political jokes seek to undermine the ruling groups’ strategies (e.g., concealment) in constructing this official tableau and narrative. In some cases, the jokes even appear to affirm the government’s main slogans, but they ultimately ridicule and subvert these slogans through the use of double themes and meanings. Some jokes tend to employ the theme of feigned ignorance before the rulers, a strategy often adopted by the masses in societies dominated by military occupation or overt violence. This tactic not only limits exploitation but also creates opportunities for symbolic revenge for insults. Political jokes also function as a system of care and blame, through which subaltern groups monitor their peers to discourage collaboration with ruling elites or acquiescence to tyranny. Beyond resistance, many jokes also give expression to people’s hopes and dreams, offering glimpses of their vision for an ideal society.
Conclusion
The persistence of people in sustaining this form of popular culture and secretly sharing these jokes, even during the most violent periods of authoritarian rule, highlights its significance as a form of political action, suggesting that its impact extends beyond mere psychological consequences.
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