Name
Laughing Back: Radical Humor as Neurodivergent Resistance in the University
Time
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM (EDT)
Description

Drawing on bell hooks’ insight that humor sustains social justice movements, this presentation examines radical humor as a relational, meaning-making, and resistant practice among neurodivergent college students. Grounded in critical neurodiversity and critical disability studies, it presents findings from a narrative inquiry with ten neurodivergent students at a large public research university. Using collaborative storytelling, the study centers participants as epistemic authorities on their own experiences. Findings show how students mobilize humor to navigate institutional expectations, mitigate burnout, cultivate relational safety, and critique systems of disablement in higher education. The session concludes with collective reflection on humor, joy, and resistance in participants’ institutional contexts.