Concept
Abstract
Memes were initially defined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins as units of culture that replicate themselves when they are shared from person to person. In the 2000s, the term “meme” found popularity within internet culture to describe a humorous image-text shared online. Media and communications scholars such as Limor Shifman de-naturalized the concept of the meme and adapted it into digital culture research. Today, meme research is not defined by a set of methodological principles and is open to methodological experimentation. A particularly useful way of exploring the social layer of memes is through digital ethnography.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Humor Studies and Applications
Media and Digital Communication
Gender
Feminism
and Media
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 173–176
- Publication date
- 30 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter