Humour As an Act of Resistance: Learning Disability and Siblinghood

Humour can be seen as an essential part of family life that is used in a number of ways, some that bring closeness and others that can be more exclusionary. Family sociology provides an understanding of siblinghood that is understood as ‘backstage’ and consisting of almost simultaneous closeness and ambivalence. This insight brings with it reflections around the role of humour in sibling relationships, one that when growing up with a sibling with learning disabilities can lead to interesting reflections around disability humour- as distinct from disabling humour. The relationship between disability and humour is one that has historically been controversial, with disabled people often on the receiving end of jokes culturally and socially. Acknowledging this context, it is also important to note the more radical potential of humour to be used in acts of resistance. Drawing from 14 narrative interviews using creative methods with siblings of people with learning disabilities this talk will explore how families use humour as an act of resistance. This resistance comes in two areas, firstly in more active resistance against structures of exclusion with participants using jokes and humour to highlight their dismay and frustration, bringing unity in the process. Secondly humour will be discussed in relation to resisting deficit narratives with the potential of humour to reject dominant pathological narratives of learning disability being explored. This section will draw on Goodley’s (2023) conceptualisation of learning disability as human praxis to explore the radical crip potentials that disability humour can bring through its role in sibling relationships. Through this talk the resistive potential of humour will be centred looking towards more affirmative understandings of siblinghood and disability that are holistic and centre the human.