CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Habib, Maria |
|---|---|
| Title | Connective Logic of Satire and the Reimagination of Digital Assembly in Pakistan |
| Summary | This thesis explores how humor and satire in digital spaces facilitate freedom of assembly and the mobilization of counter-narratives within Pakistan’s restrictive political environment. While political humor has been extensively studied in democratic contexts, limited attention has been given to its role in enabling forms of assembly under authoritarian regimes, particularly in South Asia. Addressing this gap, the study adopts a qualitative case study approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with Pakistani content creators who use humor as a tool for political critique. Grounded in classical humor theory and the connective action framework, the research examines how satirical content enables individuals to circumvent censorship, build community, and mobilize political resistance beyond formal organizational structures. The findings reveal that humorous digital content plays multiple roles in Pakistan’s political discourse: it captures attention in oversaturated media environments, fosters collective identity through shared emotional resonance, offers plausible deniability for dissent, and enables personalized modes of participation. This thesis argues that social media platforms have become vital arenas for exercising a digital form of freedom of assembly, particularly when physical gatherings are curtailed. This research contributes to the scholarship on digital activism by illuminating the distinctive mechanisms through which humor facilitates political engagement in repressive settings and offers practical insights into the role of creative expression in sustaining civic participation through what I term ‘The Connective Logic of Satire’. |
| Supervisor | Lukas, Karin |
| Department | Legal Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/habib_maria.pdf |
Visit the CEU Library.
© 2007-2021, Central European University