BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Elizabeth Perego, assistant professor in the Appalachian State University Department of History, is the author of a new book exploring the history of political humor in Algeria. The book, titled Humor and Power in Algeria, 1920 to 2021, is published by Indiana University Press as part of their “Public Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa” series.
“The book examines how humor can simultaneously perform multiple functions in circumstances where political structures are changing. It also argues for the usefulness of humor as a historical source as well as the utility of tracing shifts in how populations use humor over time. By its nature, humor is ambiguous, and this ambiguity and flexibility provide populations living under oppression with a way of passing along subversive messages while avoiding detection. In Algeria, because much of the population has been historically marginalized from formal political institutions (colonial and postcolonial governments, political parties, etc.), culture has been the central arena for political participation and commentary for most civilians,” explained Dr. Perego.
“The book follows the story of how Algerian communities across different periods and a broad ideological spectrum have employed humor to comment on and reshape national politics. It begins in the interwar period with the birth of mass politics in Algeria and the use of humor to carve out an Algerian national identity, although not all individuals agreed on what the 'Algerian nation' should look like, who should be included, and how it would be defined. Humor reflected and forwarded these debates in critical ways,” explained Perego, who received a 2021 College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Research/Proposal Development Summer Grant to support her work on the book. To write her book, Perego studied oral interviews and media archives in Arabic, French, and Tamazight.
Perego earned bachelor's degrees in French and history from Tulane University. She taught classes in English and American studies in Tunisia before returning to school and earning a doctoral degree in Middle Eastern/Islamic, African and gender history from the Ohio State University. Following a postdoctoral research fellowship in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, Perego joined App State in January 2021.
Perego is a cultural historian of the modern Middle East and Africa. Her work examines the intersection of gender, politics, and culture in the Maghrib, with a focus on contemporary Algeria. When asked how she became interested in the topic of her book, Perego shared that she has always been interested in how communities living under oppressive circumstances can use culture as a means of engaging in politics and reclaiming power.
She wrote, “Upon reading broadly about culture in post-independence Algeria, I realized that humor was an essential outlet and form of expression and political activism for many Algerians, from those marginalized from power to the states and political figures who held it. Humor was a critical tool for crafting a national identity, forging anticolonial resistance, and processing different moments of trauma and victory during turbulent as well as peaceful periods. Humor is actually so central to political culture in Algeria that citizens widely used it in 2019 to prevent long-standing ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika from being elected to a fifth term. That Hirak movement even became known as 'the Revolution of Smiles.' It was no surprise to me that humor became such a prominent part of the protests because, beyond humor being an important site of political discussion and debate, many Algerian communities and individuals have used humorous practices as a marker of their national identity or Algerian-ness. With the Hirak, we saw different Algerians coming together to celebrate this identity and, in the process, challenge the regime in place. As the book illustrates, this practice was an extension of earlier ones in the country.”
To learn more about Humor and Power in Algeria, 1920 to 2021, visit iupress.org/9780253067616/humor-and-power-in-algeria-1920-to-2021.
###
About the Department of History
The Department of History offers a broad curriculum in local, national, regional and world history at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, which encourages history majors to develop a comprehensive approach to human problems. The study of history is an essential part of a liberal arts education and offers valuable preparation for many careers, such as law, journalism, public history, public service and business, as well as in teaching and the advanced discipline of history. Learn more at https://history.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Andersen
December 1, 2023
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Elizabeth Perego, assistant professor in the Appalachian State University Department of History
Dr. Elizabeth Perego, assistant professor in the Appalachian State University Department of History