LibGuides: Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity (EDI) : EDI Book Club

What we're reading - May 2022

Seriously Funny by Shawn Chandler Bingham; Sara E. Green
ISBN: 9781626375208
Publication Date: 2016-10-05

By Enda Kelly, Library Assistant IT Carlow

Title: Seriously Funny: Disability and the Paradoxical Power of Humour

Author: Shawn Chandler Bingham and Sara E. Green

The book explores the significance and paradoxical power of humour, in particular stand-up comedy which both makes light of and critiques notions of disability in wider society, especially the idea that disability is a tragedy. Humour allows disabled people the chance to craft their own narratives about their experience for the audience to understand it, beyond this simple framing of disability as tragedy. The book aims to explore the difference between disabling humour regarding disabled people and disabled humour. This is mainly done through interviews with ten comedians with varying degrees of disability about their experiences with stand-up comedy and their thoughts on how their disability informs their comedy.

The comedians stated that they use their comedy to showcase to audiences the personal experience of disability, to demonstrate how the social world reinforces and stereotypes their experiences and illustrate ways the audience may be complacent about these issues in their daily lives. To aid in understanding the nuances around this, the book also provides a broad overview of disability studies and the different models of disability.

The comedian's understanding of disability and what they want to showcase is that disability is a social construct rather than a tragedy that afflicts their lives or that disability is a simple medical diagnosis. What makes a disability is how society treats people with a certain condition. For example, if you need a wheelchair, you are only disadvantaged when for instance, a building doesn't have a lift rather than this being a disability in itself.

This is seen in one joke from Liz Carr the book points to, "I love my superheroes, I do. My favourite was, of course, Superman. And I was very, very excited when Christopher Reeve (the actor who played superman in the 70's and 80s films) became disabled, " 'Save me from this burning building!' says Lois lane, Superman replies [ imitating Superman, breathing heavily]: 'There's no lift Lois. You're. f****'” The joke entertains and informs, highlighting that even the man of steel is rendered disabled in this instance not through a medical diagnosis but rather the lack of a lift.

The book also examines the history of disability and comedy from Greco-Roman notions of disability as a sign of moral failing to the jester and to our current notion of stand-up comedy, to illustrate the differing notions of disability throughout time. As well as this, it explores the idea of political correctness concerning disability humour, concluding that political correctness can simplify the moral choice around certain words. According to the comedians interviewed, words that could be considered offensive are necessary to get raw experience across in some instances. Rather than the word itself causing offense, the intent behind it should be what counts, again playing into the book's underlying theme, that humour is complicated. Overall, it provided a nuanced overview and understanding of the power of humour to challenge social ideas while simultaneously entertaining and changing people's thinking. This message is put across very clearly and is a congenial read.

The book is limited in the fact that it does not provide any audience feedback on the comedic value of these themes of disability in stand-up shows. This may limit the impact of the social critique. The audience are just laughing at the jokes presented and not delving into or grasping the higher concepts at play. Despite all this, I do think it's a good breezy introduction to the study of disability and the various theories of humour around disability that I really wouldn't have thought about before, which would seem to be what the EDI book club is about, so it certainly does that job well.

What we've read

Housewives and Citizens by Pamela Sharpe (Series edited by); Penny Summerfield (Series edited by); Lynn Abrams (Series edited by); Cordelia Beattie (Series edited by); Caitriona Beaumont
ISBN: 9781784991944
Publication Date: 2016-05-15
The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You by S. Bear Bergman
ISBN: 9781551523514
Publication Date: 2009-10-01
Mind: A Brief Introduction by John R. Searle
ISBN: 9780199729005
The History of Marriage Equality in Ireland by Sonja Tiernan
ISBN: 9781526146007
Publication Date: 2020-03-24
Review By Barry Neenan, Library Assistant SETU Library Carlow

This is a short, concise, and accessible history of the marriage equality campaign in Ireland, culminating in the successful referendum in May of 2015.
For much of its history, the Republic of Ireland defined itself by its Catholicism. Liberalisation on social issues was incredibly rapid, best exemplified by the two marriage referenda; a slim majority to repeal a constitutional ban on divorce in 1995, and a solid endorsement of full marriage equality just two decades later. I chose this book for our EDI book club because I wanted to know how and why opinions shifted so thoroughly, and Tiernan's work adeptly provides some answers.
The book is detailed when discussing legislation and government policy, but much of its focus is aimed at individuals and groups. David Norris' efforts to decriminalise homosexuality in the 1970s, Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan challenging the courts to recognise their Canadian marriage, Panti Bliss handling a media spotlight in the run-up to the referendum; this campaign was driven by the tireless work of Ireland's LGBT population. The book gives due weight to the actions of these people, their networks, and their supporters.
In terms of policy, Tiernan grounds the Irish campaign in a wider context, even opening the book with a timeline of what countries have legalised same-sex marriage and when. This approach gives the reader a good grasp of the particulars of the Irish system. For example, the Canadian marriage equality campaign succeeded because equality of rights is guaranteed in their constitution. However, the Irish constitution - with its emphasis on "traditional family values" - was of no help to Irish LGBT campaigners, and was in fact their biggest obstacle to overcome.

Tiernan does not attempt to show "both sides" of the marriage debate, morally speaking. The eventual victory of the marriage equality campaign is taken to be a good thing. Instead, Tiernan simply recounts what opponents of the campaign said, and when. Likewise, internal divisions within the LGBT community are discussed, most prominently concerning the supporters of civil partnership (seeing it as, at minimum, an adequate first step) versus those pushing for full civil marriage.

Ultimately, I got exactly what I wanted from this book; a better understanding of what drove the rapid change in Ireland between 1995 and 2015. It's clear that the campaign benefited hugely from individual people speaking openly about their lived experience, whether it was Leo Varadkar publicly coming out as gay while in office or a myriad of unseen conversations in homes across the country. This can also be seen in how prominent Catholic figures, such as Fr. Peter McVerry and Sr. "Stan" Stanislaus Kennedy, endorsed a Yes vote. These seemed to have a greater impact on voters than edicts sent from the Church hierarchy.
In other words; the Irish clearly love a good story.
Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness by Ilana Jacqueline
ISBN: 9781626256019
Publication Date: 2018-03-01
Masculinity and Popular Television by Rebecca Feasey
ISBN: 9780748631797
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
Review By Barry Neenan, Library Assistant SETU Library Carlow
Rebecca Feasey's Masculinities and Popular Television, an analysis of how men are depicted in everything from sitcoms to advertisements.
The immediate flaw of this book is that it was published in 2008, and television has changed considerably in the intervening thirteen years. As a result, the area covered by this research feels inescapably incomplete, with no mention of hugely influential (and definitely masculine) shows such as Breaking Bad or Mad Men. Still, the book makes for a good introductory text if you're interested in learning more about how men are represented in culture.
Feasey breaks the book into several short chapters, each one focused on a specific genre. This makes the otherwise academic tone of the book fairly approachable, letting the reader single out topics of interest. Shows like Firefly and Smallville are examined in depth; the parenting styles of Homer Simpson, Hank Hill, and Peter Griffin are compared and contrasted; fictional doctors get their own chapter, as do televisual cops. While you're unlikely to recognize every show and character under discussion, there will certainly be some familiar names even for the most casual of viewers.
While I might be showing my biases as someone who reads a lot of television analysis, I would say that the book can feel a little thin at points. Some of the conclusions may seem a bit basic to people used to debating and comparing stories. For instance, Feasey discusses how the sitcom Friends showcases positive examples of male friendship, while also, as a comedy from the 1990s, sometimes invoking homophobia for comedic effect. Such analysis might not strike the modern reader as groundbreaking.
Still, there is plenty else here to provoke thought and discussion. The very premise of the book - that academic work along feminist or "gender studies" lines tends to only focus on women's representation, leaving men as an unexamined control group - invites consideration of how we can approach masculinity more thoughtfully. Even the fact the book is dated to 2008 isn't necessarily a dealbreaker. The chapters on doctors and the police walk the reader through chronological changes to how these careers are depicted, from clearcut friendliness in the 1950s through to edgy reimaginings in the 1970s before settling on some (vague) sense of realism in the 2000s. The reader can compare this progression against more recent examples, such as The Good Doctor or Brooklyn 99 respectively.
If you've ever wondered what kind of guy is most likely to win Big Brother, why Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson present themselves to their audiences so differently, or whether Jack Bauer really loves his daughter, this book can give you some insight.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
ISBN: 9781503212831
Publication Date: 2014-11-28
Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble
ISBN: 9781479849949
Publication Date: 2018-02-20
Review By Barry Neenan, Library Assistant SETU Library Carlow
Safiya Umoja Noble's Algorithms of Oppression, is an examination of search engine's sociological effects which is, put bluntly, terrifying.
Noble walks the reader through the mechanics of how Google orders its results, from privileging advertisers to collating links between keywords (and how the latter of which has been manipulated in the past). Despite inarguably being one of the most powerful companies in the world, Google maintains a hands-off approach to the effects of its business model. Noble details how Google issued an apology for Holocaust-denying material appearing on the first page after searching the term "Jew", but questions how this could have happened in the first place.
The reality is that Google holds huge sway over Western society - not merely in its billions of dollars of profit, but also the soft power it possesses as an implicitly trusted source of information. We intuitively believe the first page of Google results are the "best", representing what is both most popular and most true. Noble's analysis disproves this notion. Our blind trust in the algorithm is misplaced.
Despite the utopian idealism that is (or was) often championed by the tech industry, Noble's research paints a starkly familiar picture. The people with the most sway on the internet are those with the deepest pockets, and they are far more focused on profiting from that investment than with whatever is true or best for society. Corporate advertising supplants unbiased reviews, sensationalist clickbait supplants genuine journalism, and pornography supplants anything and everything involving women and girls.
Although she stresses the importance of this topic to everyday people, Noble is presenting her research to people already familiar with academic-level feminism and critical race theory. This can make the book feel inaccessible at points, particularly considering the long length of the opening chapters. Still, this work is nothing short of eye-opening. If you only have time to read one section, I recommend the third chapter. In a succinct eight pages, Noble outlines how the mass shooter Dylann Roof gleaned his warped view of race relations directly from Google's algorithms, to horrifying results.
Near the end of the book, Noble lays it out clearly: "We are the product Google sells to advertisers." Research like this helps you understand just what is being bought and sold.
The Power of Experiments by Michael Luca; Max H. Bazerman
ISBN: 9780262358255
Publication Date: 2020-02-07
Review by Barry Neenan, Library Assistant SETU Library Carlow.
The authors, both academics, are eager to evangelize for experiments. They each have a litany of examples drawn from both their own careers, as well as from colleagues and students, relating to a variety of fields. Every case study involves real-world applications in recognizable settings, from governmental letters sent to people who have failed to pay their taxes to the specific layouts and practices of sites like eBay, Facebook or StubHub.
Particularly relevant to EDI discussion is the fifth chapter, which discusses how Airbnb handled (or failed to handle) the thorny issue of racism on its site. Black users reported discrimination on the platform, which the website's management strongly denied. An experiment, run by one of the authors and his colleague, provided objective evidence of discriminatory practices, which contributed to Airbnb finally addressing the issue.

This is one of several ways the book maintains that experiments can be a force for social good. The authors do acknowledge at points, however, that they are ultimately just a tool. Experiments can lead to more effective and helpful public services, for example, but they can also help companies identify the most ruthlessly efficient ways of squeezing every penny from their customers.
It's hard for me to disentangle this book's plucky, optimistic tone from the grim warnings given to us in Safiya Umoja Noble's 'Algorithms of Oppression' outlined the terrible moral failings of major tech companies. Luca and Bazerman (rightly) note every corporation and initiative they have partnered with, which may explain the sympathetic tone they strike when discussing for-profit companies. On Facebook's controversial experiment where users were exposed to either more negative or more positive content without informed consent, they simply lament that the subsequent backlash made companies less likely to publish the results of internal experiments.
Overall, this is a breezy read, ideal if you want to learn about experiments and their applications in the tech sector and beyond. Just be aware that, in cartoon-mad-scientist fashion, the experiments themselves may be given more weight than the people inside them.