Not All Claps and Cheers

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2.2   Clowning around

A critical analysis of the role of humor in activist–business engagement

Katharina Wolf

Introduction

This chapter provides a first-hand, in-depth insight into humor-based activist–organization interaction based on a single case study. Although extensively examined in social science literature,¹ humor is arguably not a characteristic that is frequently associated with activism in mainstream Western culture and psyche. Historically, business and communication scholars have examined the activist–business relationship primarily through an organizational lens. In providing an alternative—activist-focused—perspective, this chapter addresses an existing gap in the literature. It challenges current understanding and assumptions, ...