Mimetic Representations of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Objectification, Anchoring, and Identification Processes in CoronavirusMemes

Abstract

This study examines meaning-making in and through coronavirus memes, as part of broader representations of the pandemic circulating online. It also aims to make a broader conceptual contribution by advancing a theory of mimetic representation that considers memes to be cultural meaning units and, building on social representations theory, proposes objectification, anchoring, and identification as their 3 main constitutive processes. A content analysis that focuses on these processes was conducted on a systematically generated sample of 1,544 memes posted on Reddit’s r/CoronavirusMemes between January and May 2020. We found that the pandemic is objectified most often in terms of protective measures (e.g., quarantine, social distancing) and transmission (e.g., coughing, traveling when sick); that it is anchored in popular media themes, followed by geography, politics, and history; and that, in terms of identification, most memes portrayed the self and/or in-group. Although, over time, memes displayed more objectification and less identification, the ones that did make reference to in- and out-groups were more commented on. These results suggest that analyses guided by the theory of mimetic representation can shed light on the dynamic nature of meaning-making processes on social media and the importance of memes in terms of framing wider societal debates as well as creating new identities, online and offline.