
Dr Elisabeth Moerking
Expertise
Current positions
Honorary Research Associate
School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies
Contact
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Research interests
My research is interested in the relationship between humour and the global rise of reactionary politics and fascism. In particular, I study far-right memes in order to critically interrogate humour's constitutive role in the circulation of reactionary subjectivities and sensibilities. My work draws on a range of scholarly and theoretical traditions, including poststructural International Relations theory, critical humour studies, affect theory and media studies.
Publications
Recent publications
01/03/2026Can’t Take a Joke!1 Theorizing Reactionary Humor through a Pessimistic Counter-Reading
International Political Sociology
Ordinary affects of global reactionary politics
Critical Studies on Security
Thesis
Can't Take a Joke! Theorising the Politics of Reactionary Humour Through Far-Right Memes
Supervisors
Award date
17/03/2026