America the Beautiful? The Serious Role of Humor in Social Justice

Session Submission Type: Invited Session (90 minute)

Description

In this plenary session, ASA president Shelley Correll will be in conversation with comedian, humor writer, and author, Blythe Roberson, about her recent book “America the Beautiful? One Woman in a Borrowed Prius on the Road Most Traveled.” Roberson’s book is a sharp, funny, and deeply perceptive travel narrative about visiting America’s national parks—made all the more striking by how rare it still is for women to write in this genre. Her book offers incisive sociological insights into racism, sexism, colonization, and climate change, all while making you laugh (sometimes uncomfortably so). Joining the conversation, Professor Lauren Feldman—co-author (with Caty Borum) of A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice—will reflect on the unique role of humor and comedy in illuminating injustices and offering vehicles for social change. Set in New York City, a legendary home of comedy, this session embraces the idea that humor is not a distraction from serious analysis, but one of its most effective tools.

Free copies of the book, “America the Beautiful?” will be available for the first 80 attendees.

Sub Unit

• Plenary Sessions

Presider

• Shelley J. Correll, Stanford University

Panelists

• Blythe Roberson, Comedian, Humor writer, Author

• Lauren Feldman, Professor and Chair of Journalism & Media Studies in the School of Communication & Information at Rutgers University

Session Organizer

• Shelley J. Correll, Stanford University