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Well, just with all other behaviours, jokes have intended and unintended consequences. Some jokes aim to be positive ('we belong!') others are used negatively ('you don't belong'). Sometimes bleak humour (e.g. jokes on disaster) can stray into positive or negative territory
#Sociology studies from 1940s onward show the use of humour 'from below.' E.g. during times of political conflict (e.g. Czech people under Nazi occupation) show that jokes mostly focus on morale boosts (ingroup cohesion) rather than 'laughing up' at those in power (the outgroup)
Morale boosting is used by minorities to speak to injustice, cope with trauma and transcend marginalisation. Where people are not 'laughing down' humour can offer healing. See Dr Pearl Duncan whe examines Aboriginal humour as cultural survivalhttp://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2014/12/love-of-laughter-leads-phd-pearl …
'While the humor of the poor may not necessarily lead directly to rebellions and political revolutions, it does open up a discursive space within which is becomes possible to speak about matters that are otherwise naturalised, unquestioned, or silenced.' (Donna Goldstein 2013)
Humour shapes social meaning. Sometimes, jokes reinforce stereotypes in ways that are oppressive, including to the joker. E.g. Women whose comedy depends on pretending they're not attractive (https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/08/why-do-so-many-pretty-female-comedians-pretend-theyre-ugly/261510/ …) when male comedians are not judged in the same way
Humour can reflect a worldview, such as what is considered 'natural' or 'normal.' Jokes about race, sexuality, gender, disability often rest on ideas of morality. Few jokes carry across cultures, but studies show that the few that do, evoke notions of rationality & modernity.
Humour is also historical. Studies show that colonised societies have similar patterns of joking ('tall tales,' mocking class relations, practical jokes) that don't translate into other realms. In other coloniser societies like the Netherlands, jokes are more class-based.
'Joking up' and 'joking down' reflect these complex dynamics, of social belonging, culture and history, even when the joker isn't fully aware of these functions. To know whether our jokes cause harm, taking a little time to reflect on what makes us laugh, is a useful exercise
People who retreat into calls of censorship when they're called out for their jokes might consider why this is. They want laughter on their terms (social cohesion) but are unhappy to be denied laughs they feel they have a right to. They're likely 'laughing down' (social status)
Finally, when considering whether to make fun of an issue affecting marginalised or vulnerable people, consider:
Are you a member of this group/ affected by this issue?
Are you laughing down? (Don't)
Does your joke offer relief, or reinforce the status quo?
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