Managing Stigma Through Laughter: Disability Stigma & Humor as a Stigma Management Communication Strategy

ABSTRACT

Stigma can negatively impact those who are stigmatized and is created by and managed through communication. This study examines a specific stigmatized community, those with hearing loss, and a specific communication strategy, humor, that might be used to manage stigma. The results indicate that humor can be used to manage both the internal and interpersonal effects of humor. Additionally, participants reported using humor as a strategy to challenge or defend against stigma. Integrating research from communication, disability studies, and sociology, this interdisciplinary study extends work on stigma management communication as well as disability humor.

KEYWORDS:

• Stigma
• stigma management
• humor
• disability humor
• hearing loss

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brittany N. Lash

Brittany N. Lash is currently an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Dayton. She graduated with a B.S. from Ohio University in Organizational Communication and then went on to pursue both her MA and Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Lash’s primary research interests focus on the intersections between health and interpersonal communication. A particular passion in disability studies and the communication issues surrounding individuals with disabilities has driven much of her research as she strives to give a voice to individuals within this population.