Racism in recent Greek migrant jokes

Abstract

Abstract One of Davies’ significant contributions to the sociology of humor involves the exploration of the relation between jokes and the social order. He particularly argues that jokes seem to work like a “thermometer” conveying truths for the sociopolitical system. In our study, we aim to analyze jokes related to the migration crisis and circulated online since 2014 following Davies’ methodological guidelines. During the past few years, the number of migrants arriving at Greek shores has significantly increased. The prospect of Greece becoming a permanent base for these people has evoked diverse reactions. Migrant jokes seem to be part of Greek majority’s response to the migration ‘threat’ against national sovereignty and linguocultural homogeneity. They (re)produce and perpetuate xenophobia and racism by portraying migrants as ‘dangerous invaders’ in the Greek territory and as ‘culturally inferior’ people. Hence, such jokes align with dominant values and standpoints circulating in the Greek public sphere via underscoring the inequality between the Greek majority and migrants and via naturalizing the latter’s assimilation to majority norms and values.