November 14 at 9 am and November 15 at 5 pm 2024

Roskilde University, Denmark

Deadline: August 11, 2024

Hosted by SatiReNet (3-year explorative research network funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark)

Building upon the foundational works of Charb (2015), Brink (2015), Greenberg (2019), and Declercq (2021), who have explored satire as a pre-generic mode, a frame of mind, or a counterpublic practice, our explorative research network endeavours to redefine the nature of satire. We believe satire transcends mere judgment of others and instead seeks to uncover folly within ourselves. Our aim is to delve into the hybrid tensions inherent in satire, including the interplay between outward and inward critique, fiction and truth-telling, play and critique, moral restraints and license, engagement and detachment.

Join us in a scholarly exploration of the nature of satire at this international conference! Your contributions will enrich the discourse on satire's pivotal role in challenging misconceptions, communicating complex ideas and shaping our understanding of the world.

Themes for research:

1. Satire and images:

This theme examines the commonly assumed unambiguity of graphic satire, such as cartoon caricatures. Recent years have seen a surge in heated polemics surrounding this presumption, indicating a reliance on quick ethical interpretations of satirical works by both academics and non-academics (Charb, 2015; Brink, 2015; Greenberg, 2019; Phiddian, 2019). Moreover, graphic satire remains vastly understudied compared to its literary and TV counterparts (Gatrell, 2005; Brink, 2021), making this theme both urgent and promising.

2. Satire and performance:

In the digital age, satire has proliferated across various platforms, including social media, posing new challenges in the relationship between performance and audience. This theme explores the evolving dynamics between performance and audience participation in satirical works, with a focus on the ethical and aesthetic complexities arising from the interaction of context, theatricality, and audience interpretation (Fischer-Lichte, 2008; Reilly, 2011; Swift, 2019; Eigtved, 2021).

3. Satire and knowledge:

Both satire and science aim to expose falsehoods and reveal truths. This theme scrutinises the intersections of satire and knowledge, specifically how satire can be utilised to challenge scientific misconceptions and communicate complex ideas (Bore & Reid, 2014; Riesch, 2015; Pinto, Marçal, & Vaz, 2015; Klitgård, 2020; Klitgård, 2021). We aim to uncover the potential risks and benefits of this approach by examining the moral and discursive quandaries associated with using satire to negotiate the ethos of the scientist.

Keynotes: Professor Paul Simpson, University of Liverpool, and Associate Professor Nicholas Holm, Massey University.

Conference format:

A two-day conference in which we aim for approximately 20 presentations in total.

Submission guidelines:

Abstract submissions of 300 words and a short bio of 100 words are invited from researchers, scholars and practitioners exploring the three conference themes. Please upload your material here: https://events.ruc.dk/thecomplexitiesandchallengesofsatireintodayssociety/conference

Submissions may include research papers, case studies, theoretical explorations, or interdisciplinary perspectives.

Authors are encouraged to present innovative approaches, empirical studies, and critical analyses related to the study of satire.

Key dates:

Abstract submission deadline: 11 August 2024. 300 words

Decision notice: Mid-August 2024

Conference dates: 14-15 November 2024 (at 9-17 each day)

Conference venue: Department of Communication and Arts, Roskilde University, Denmark, https://ruc.dk/en/department-communication-and-arts

Signing up for the conference: 1 September 2024

Travel and expenses:

All participants must pay for their own travel and accommodation. 

As Roskilde University Campus is situated in Trekroner, approximately 30 minutes by regional train from Copenhagen, it is safe to book accommodation in Copenhagen.

There will be no registration fee, and lunch, coffee and a conference dinner will be provided for all conference attendants.

Inquiries:

Please contact Associate Professor Ida Klitgård (PI), Roskilde University (idak@ruc.dk) or Associate Professor Michael Eigtved (Co-PI), University of Copenhagen (eigtved@hum.ku.dk).

SatiReNet website: https://ruc.dk/en/forskningsprojekt/satire-research-network

Mention in Nordmedia: https://nordmedianetwork.org/latest/news/new-nordic-initiative-to-advance-satire-research/

References:

Bore, I.-L. K., & G. Reid. (2014). Laughing in the Face of Climate Change? Satire as a Device for Engaging Audiences in Public Debate. Science Communication, 36(4), 454–478.

Brink, D. M. (2015). Anklagesyg venstrefløj misforstår Charlie Hebdo. Information, 20.01.2015.

Brink, D. M. (2021). Frækhedens evangelium. Hovedstrømninger i religionssatirens historie fra det 12. til det 19. århundrede. PhD thesis. Copenhagen: Copenhagen University.

Charb, S. (2015). Lettre aux escrocs de l’islamophobie qui font le jeu des racists. Paris: Les Échappes.

Declercq, D. (2021). Satire, Comedy and Mental Health. United Kingdom: Emerald Publishing.

Eigtved, M. (2021). PÅ! Begivenhedskultur fra selfie til scenekunst. Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur.

Fischer-Lichte, E. (2008). The Transformative Power of Theatre. London: Routledge.

Gatrell, V. (2005). City of Laughter. Sex and Satire in Eighteenth-century London. London: Atlantic Books.

Greenberg, J. (2019). The Cambridge Introduction to Satire. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Klitgård, I. (2020). ’Critical Parents Against Plaster’: The MMR vaccination drama as satirical parody. MedieKultur: Journal of Media and Communication Research, 36(68), 4-24.

Klitgård, I. (2021). ’Ignorance is strength’: Representing COVID-19 Facebook experts in Danish textual news satire. Journalistica, 15(1), 165-184.

Phiddian, R. (2019). Satire and the Public Emotions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Pinto, B., D. Marçal & S.G. Vaz. (2015). Communicating through humour: A project of stand-up comedy about science. Public Understanding of Science, 24(7), 776–793.

Reilly, I. (2011). Amusing Ourselves to Death? Social Media, Political Satire, and the 2011 Election. Canadian Journal of Communication, 36(3), 503-511.

Riesch, H. (2015). Why did the proton cross the road? Humour and science communication. Public Understanding of Science, 24(7), 768–775.

Swift, E. (2019). Practical Spectating: An Exploration of the Multiple Roles of the Intermedial Performance Audience. International Journal of Performance Art and Digital Media, 5(2), 66-183.