Constructing identity through humour in left-wing populism

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It is widely acknowledged that we are living through a'populist moment'. Politics is becoming more emotionaland polarised. Understood according to Laclau's populistlogic, the old discursive order has left a critical number ofdemands unsatisfied; these demands have groupedtogether and found representation under empty signifiers.The force behind this grouping of demands is affective, andthrough this process political identities are formed.There has been much research into this populist moment.Most has tended to follow rationalist orthodoxy and ignoredor downplayed affect as a valid component of politics.Recently, research has brought affect back into the study ofpopulism. However, it has mostly been studied separatelyfrom reason. More recently, researchers have begun toapproach affect and reason as interrelated phenomena. Mywork is positioned in this school.I will explore the interplay between discourse and affect inconstructing collective identities in left-wing populism. Inan original contribution to this ongoing debate, I will focuson humour, as it is simultaneously both affective anddiscursive, and prevalent in my case studies. My researchwill compare the role of humour in Podemos, La FranceInsoumise and Momentum/Labour communities. Focusingon supporters of these populist projects rather than leaders,I will explore how humour mobilises affects and provides ameans for supporters to influence discourse - putting the'people' back into populism.