Memes: discourse formations echoing in cyberspace

This paper analyzes discourse formations acting as “memes” in social networks based on the writings of Fiorin (1998) and the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as theoretical support. According to the conceptions of Fairclough (2001a, 2001b; 2003), CDA is...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Souza, Carlos Fabiano de
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:Brasil
Institución:Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Campos dos Goytacazes
Repositorio:Vértices (Campos dos Goitacazes. Online)
Idioma:portugués
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.editoraessentia.iff.edu.br:article/2684
Acceso en línea:https://editoraessentia.iff.edu.br/index.php/vertices/article/view/1809-2667.20130011
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Memes
Social networks
Critical discourse analysis
Ideology
Redes sociais
Análise de discurso crítica
Ideologia
Descripción
Sumario:This paper analyzes discourse formations acting as “memes” in social networks based on the writings of Fiorin (1998) and the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as theoretical support. According to the conceptions of Fairclough (2001a, 2001b; 2003), CDA is a theory of discourse that aims to investigate language as a social and ideological practice. Thus, the study opens with considerations about the appearance of the term coined by Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene (1976), in which the author postulates the idea of “meme” – unity of cultural information that is replicated from person to person – in analogy to genes. Another theoretical perspective considered in the investigation are the conceptions of Susan Blackmore (1999) on the role of “memes” as a powerful force shaping our cultural evolution through ideas copied from individual to individual by imitation. The work closes with discussions on the implications of the role played by memetic components in virtual environments as an ideological representation of voices of characters from the real world that post comments in social networks, thus fostering discussions that cooperate to the dissemination of “memes”.