Geopolitics of Humour and Development in Nepal and Afghanistan

Abstract

The authors of this chapter draw upon their respective research experiences in Nepal and Afghanistan to discuss the use of humour during times of political uncertainty, conflict, and displacement from a geopolitical perspective. The authors argue that humour is a method for creating shared spaces of connection and community during adversity. Vulnerable populations often experience humour through the temporally limited spaces of connection and community it creates. Humour is also used as a method for countering oppression, structural and physical violence, and identity-based marginalization. When uncertainty is met through humour and humorous actions, it creates moments of solidarity among the actors. This chapter provides an overview of the literature in geography on the geopolitics of humour followed by each author’s discussion of political and everyday uses of humour in Nepal and Afghanistan. The Nepal case study examines uses of humour among Tibetan refugees and indigenous Himalayan communities when faced with state surveillance and political marginalization. The Afghanistan case study examines humour through the media and everyday interactions among individuals in the face of profound political precarity, violence, and continued uncertainty.