This research employs a big-level decimal study to disclose structural patterns away from internet memes, centering on 2 forces you to definitely join him or her together: this new quiddities of any meme loved ones together with common attributes of the brand new larger memetic industries. Having fun with content and you can circle studies off 1013 meme times (plus clips, images, and you may text message), we mention memes’ commonplace quiddity systems and you will simple has actually, therefore the ways in which it relate to each other. Our very own findings show that (a) higher cohesiveness off meme family members are on the an increased individuality of the simple features; and you may (b) the brand new concreteness out of meme quiddities try of this cohesiveness and you will individuality. I talk about the effects of those findings to the understanding of internet sites memes and you will participatory people.
Family members and you can Channels out-of Sites Memes: The connection Between Cohesiveness, Individuality, and you can Quiddity Concreteness
Web sites memes, pieces of electronic posts you to definitely give in the websites in almost any iterations, keeps recently sparked scholarly interest all over numerous industries (Bennett & Segerberg, 2012 ; Milner, 2012 ; Shifman, 2013 ). While most knowledge take an excellent qualitative way of exploring the cultural meaning of memes, in the following the article i apply higher-size decimal data so you can show some legislation and you may regularities underpinning it ostensibly crazy fields. Memes is actually an integral part of the fresh new fantastically dull “net diet” many Internet users, casually showing up within the visits to programs like Youtube, Twitter, and you will Reddit. The memetic dynamic is actually from are trivial. They require disparate profiles around the globe to perform when you look at the performance, carrying out and you can dispersing content inside numerous differences together divergent systems, while keeping their affinity and well-known services.
That it papers is aimed at dropping light about Internet memes continue to be tied up together with her even after the active and you can lively contexts away from articulation. In its first part we lay the backdrop for the expedition from the showing the strain between your popular features of private meme instances, meme parents, together with entire memetic network. I determine internet sites memes as the categories of electronic textual tools authored and you can given by of many participants, being likely together with her by the a couple pushes: (a) a provided quiddity that’s particular to each friends, constituting the only one essence; and you will (b) a whole lot more general features away from means, content, and stance you to mark towards the events of “meme society.” Strengthening with this abstract distinction, i contained in another region this new seeks powering this study: to incorporate an overview and you will studies of your own prevalent quiddities and you will generic options that come with internet memes and to studies the newest connections ranging from them. In particular, we need to look at the connection within cohesiveness from meme family (we.elizabeth., the fresh extent that hours resemble one another), the uniqueness of your own simple services underpinning her or him, plus the concreteness of your own quiddities binding her or him. datingranking.net/it/incontri-di-viaggio-it/ To handle this type of requires, i operating articles research towards an extensive decide to try out-of meme occasions, upcoming added mathematical and you will circle investigation. Regarding the finishing area, i speak about just how our analysis, in line with the theoretical difference in quiddities and you can standard features, falls out white for the dualities away from “networked selves” constituting contemporary digital cultures.
Meme Family and Binding Quiddities
The term meme was coined by Richard Dawkins from the Self-centered Gene ( 1976 ) to explain small units out of culture you to bequeath regarding person to person by the duplicating otherwise simulation. Predicated on which initially conceptualization, memes tends to be abstract records, messages or methods. Memetic diffusion will be based upon a combination of repetition and you will version: Just like the ability to reproduce memes in different contexts are simple to their triumph, re-development needs to be versatile adequate to conform to switching factors. That it state out of flux causes a tendency to define memes simply retrospectively, after they keeps propagated. Thus, as an example, the initial four cards regarding Beethoven’s 5th Symphony was indeed defined as a good meme merely once they journeyed to many elements of the newest world and you can were provided within the a wide array of cultural items comprising adverts, child’s programming, and you may movies (Blackmore, 1999 ).