UKRAINIAN WARTIME SHIBBOLETH MEMES: EMERGENCE AND REPRODUCTION

Abstract

The article is focused on researching the generation and spreading of Ukrainian wartime shibboleth memes created in 2022, continuing a string of papers published on the issue of meme definition, classification and analysis. Based on modern European, American and Ukrainian research, this study is aimed at describing, analyzing and illustrating the influence of wartime stress on the generation of special ‘shibboleth memes’ based on the idea of a ‘friend-or-foe’ system. Memes are a prominent part of communication and are defined as the main unit of cultural transgression or succession. Despite the definition of meme being vague and non-consistent in various language studies, the idea of its semantic ‘capacity’ remains the same. The article redefines the notion of ‘meme generator’ suggested in previous papers and analyzes the fundamental works of scholars pertaining to modern memes. The author of the current research paper proposes a definition of a shibboleth meme. Analysis of memes falling under the criteria of this definition has been provided in the article. The memes mentioned in the article show that wartime (Ukraine 2022) has become a ‘supergenerator’ of memes, especially shibboleth memes. This study offers multiple prospects, such as further research on the influence of current events on meme generation, as well as further analysis of wartime memes as a whole, and provides prospects for a further study focused on memes, their history, variety and function in modern culture.