Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2024

Date of Submission

2024-07-24

Advisor

Rahma Muhammad Mian, Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Internet Memes, Doge, Reddit, Participatory Culture, Gift Economy

Abstract

In the contemporary digital landscape, Internet memes have emerged as powerful tools for communication and cultural expression, profoundly shaping our interactions in both the online and offline world. Given this transformative influence, it becomes imperative for us to thoroughly investigate this phenomenon and provide it with a more solid theoretical grounding, especially within academic discourse. This research explores how Internet memes, with a specific focus on the renowned Doge meme, exemplify Henry Jenkins’ theory of participatory culture. This framework has two central dimensions: the prevalence of remix culture surrounding such cultural artifacts and the five defining characteristics of online communities that enable them to foster participatory culture. Through the qualitative research method of digital ethnography, this study demonstrates how the Doge meme’s inherent structure facilitates its widespread remixing and adaptation across various online contexts, including the realms of political communication and commercial advertising. Moreover, it also highlights the meme’s impact beyond the digital realm, notably through initiatives like Dogecoin, a Doge-themed alternative cryptocurrency known for its philanthropic endeavors. The study also investigates Reddit communities centered around the Doge meme, illustrating how the platform’s community-focused structure supports the flourishing of participatory culture. A significant contribution of this research is its analysis of the gift economy phenomenon within these online communities, which enables the incentivization of members’ contributions through mechanisms such as Dogecoin tipping. It must be noted that while the framework of participatory culture has been applied extensively to analyze fandoms, the focus on gift economies remains unexplored, making this study pivotal for expanding the theoretical understanding of online participatory dynamics. In a similar vein, this research also provides a foundation for future scholars to explore Internet memes through diverse theoretical lenses within the domain of media studies and digital humanities.

Pages

89

Download

The full text of this document is only accessible to authorized users.

Share

COinS