Humor and Nonviolent Struggle in Serbia

In this highly original and engaging work, Sombatpoonsiri explores the nexus between humor and nonviolent protest, aiming to enhance our understanding of the growing popularity of humor in protest movements around the world. Drawing on insights from the pioneering Otpor activists in Serbia, she provides a detailed account of the protesters' systematic use of humor to topple Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. Protest newsletters, documentaries of the movement, and interviews with activists combine to illustrate how humor played a pivotal role by reflecting the absurdity of the regime's propaganda and, in turn, by delegitimizing its authority. Sombatpoonsiri highlights the Otpor activists' ability to internationalize their nonviolent crusade, influencing youth movements in the Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, and Egypt. Globally, Otpor's successful use of humor has become an inspiration for a later generation of protest movements.

Author: Janjira Sombatpoonsiri
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Published: 10/29/2015
Pages: 296
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.14lbs
Size: 9.32h x 6.28w x 0.82d
ISBN: 9780815634072

About the Author
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri is lecturer of political science at Thammasat University in Thailand.