Elad Segev, Asaf Nissenbaum, Nathan Stolero, Limor Shifman, Families and you can Companies regarding Web sites Memes: The relationship Between Cohesiveness, Uniqueness, and Quiddity Concreteness, Diary regarding Computer-Mediated Telecommunications, Volume 20, Point cuatro, , Pages 417–433,
Abstract
This research employs a big-scale quantitative investigation to reveal architectural patterns of websites memes, focusing on dos forces you to definitely join her or him together with her: the fresh quiddities each and every meme loved ones and simple top features of this new bigger memetic areas. Having fun with stuff and community data from 1013 meme period (including video clips, photo, and you may text), i explore memes’ commonplace quiddity models and simple possess, as well as the ways in which they relate with each other. The conclusions demonstrate that (a) highest cohesiveness of meme parents try of an elevated individuality of its common services; and (b) the fresh new concreteness out-of meme quiddities is actually on the cohesiveness and individuality. I talk about the effects of those findings to your understanding of internet memes and participatory culture.
Web sites memes, items of digital blogs you to definitely pass on in the online in different iterations, have has just sparked scholarly attention all over numerous sphere ( Bennett Segerberg, 2012; Milner, 2012; Shifman, 2013). Many education grab good qualitative approach to exploring the cultural concept of memes, on the pursuing the blog post we implement high-level decimal study so you can show specific legislation and regularities underpinning so it ostensibly crazy sphere. Memes are part of the fresh fantastically dull “net diet” of many Individuals, casually appearing when you look at the visits to systems for example Youtube, Fb, and you may Reddit. The memetic active try away from being shallow. Needed different pages global to execute inside the concert, starting and you may releasing stuff for the numerous variations collectively divergent systems, while maintaining their attraction and you may well-known properties.
It paper is aimed at shedding light on how Sites memes are still tied up together with her despite their vibrant and you may playful contexts from articulation. Within the basic area we put the background for our trip from the reflecting the stress between your features of private meme days, meme family members, plus the entire memetic system. We explain sites memes because sets of electronic textual products composed and you will given by of many members, which happen to be bound together with her because of the several forces: (a) a provided quiddity that is specific every single family unit members, constituting its singular essence; and (b) far more standard features out of function, posts, and you will position one mark towards exhibitions of “meme society.” Strengthening on this subject conceptual differences, i contained in the next area the fresh new aims powering this research: to include a summary and data of common quiddities and simple options that come with web sites memes also to research brand new associations between them. Particularly, you want to have a look at the connection within cohesiveness away from meme families (i.age., brand new the total amount to which period act like one another), the latest individuality of your own common features underpinning her or him, additionally the concreteness of one’s quiddities joining her or him. To address this type of goals, i employed content study to the a wide try from meme times, next additional analytical and you may circle data. About finishing point, i explore how our very own analysis, based on the theoretic difference in quiddities and you will standard properties, sheds light on dualities off “networked selves” constituting modern-day electronic cultures.
Meme Families and you can Binding Quiddities
The phrase meme is actually coined from the Richard Dawkins from the Selfish Gene ( 1976) to spell it hitwe out brief units regarding culture that give out-of individual people from the copying or replica. Centered on which 1st conceptualization, memes could be conceptual details, messages or means. Memetic diffusion is dependant on a mixture of repetition and you will variation: Just like the capability to reproduce memes in numerous contexts try fundamental on their success, re-manufacturing has to be flexible sufficient to adjust to modifying circumstances. Which county out of flux leads to a tendency to identify memes merely retrospectively, when they has actually propagated. Hence, as an instance, the first five notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony had been identified as a great meme only when they traveled to many parts of brand new world and you will was in fact incorporated inside the many cultural artifacts comprising advertising, kid’s coding, and videos ( Blackmore, 1999).