Lecture Abstract

Widely disputed in academic circles for over three decades, the term “meme” has recently been re-formulated as a mundane phrase referring to a wide spectrum of digital phenomena, encompassing cute kittens and political protests. Focusing on attributes specific to memes in digital spheres, I shall propose a revised definition of the concept, and deploy it to explore the various roles played by memes in political participation and cultural globalization. The power of internet memes, I will argue, stems from their unique position as bridges between individuals and collectives. Finally, I will look into the intersection between memes and values, arguing that internet memes construct two types of values: overt values, which are expressed through memes’ content, and covert values, which are intrinsic to memes as communicative formats.

Additionally, Prof. Shifman will be explaining about her new large-scale global project "DigitalValues" starting 2019. "DigitalValues" aims to study the construction of values in social media through a comparative analysis of user-generated content in five languages. Saki Mizoroki, member of Kaori Hayashi Research Group at the University of Tokyo will be cooperating her project.

About the Speaker

Prof. Limor Shifman is Associate Professor at the Department of Communication and Journalism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. She studies digital media and popular culture, and is particularly interested in two realms: understanding the big meaning of small texts (such as jokes) and identifying patterns in seemingly chaotic universes of user generated content. Her work has been published in venues such as Journal of Communication, American Sociological Review, New Media and Society and Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Prof. Shifman is a former research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute , University of Oxford, and a former visiting scholar at the USC Annenberg school of Communication and Journalism.

Note

Free admission. No registration needed.

Host

Kaori Hayashi Research Group, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies (Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies), University of Tokyo

協力

• Project S ("Producing Multicultural Communities") of the Integrated Human Sciences Program for Cultural Diversity (IHS), University of Tokyo

• 日本マス・コミュニケーション学会　ジャーナリズム研究・教育部会

* We appreciate your understanding that photos, video or audio records taken during the event may be used for future IHS Program activities.

For further inquires, or if you have any questions for the lecture, please send an email to Saki Mizoroki
mizoroki[at]g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp