Socialism in Joke: Political jokes as Part of Collective Memory in the Czech Republic and Slovakia\n

0511891 - EÚ 2020 eng A - Abstract
Šipöczová, Eva
Socialism in Joke: Political jokes as Part of Collective Memory in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
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[(Re)thinking socialism: knowledge, memory and oblivion of the socialist past. 07.11.2019-09.11.2019, Sofia]
Institutional support: RVO:68378076
Keywords : political jokes * socialism * collective memory * Czechoslovakia * contemporary narrative
OECD category: Antropology, ethnology

Humour is a way how people see and interpret the world around them. Political jokes represent a unique part of the narrative culture of society. They tell about the character of politics and politicians, they comment developments and reflect the mood in society and everyday life. The jokes about socialism in Czechoslovakia (1948 - 1989) reflect the reality of a totalitarian regime which was part of the Soviet Bloc. The system of censorship and restricted freedom of speech created specific atmosphere for the life of political jokes which had to adapt to situation on the one hand, and on the other they were a form of resistance against the regime. These jokes are part of narrative culture; they have survived to nowadays and they have jointly formed collective memory of people who lived during the era of socialism. Political jokes have become a component of personal experience narratives. Simultaneously, they create a cultural image of the reality of socialism in Czechoslovakia, conveying it to the younger generations. The first section of the paper focusses on the life of political jokes during that period, and on how they represent that era. The second section deals with jokes as part of collective memory. The last section of the paper reflects the sense of political jokes in the contemporary narration and society.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0302147