SOCIOCULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A MEME IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE

Abstract

Introduction. The discursive practices of the culture of the information era foresee changes in the sphere of communication, in
particular, the transformation of existing and the emergence of new forms, styles, and genres, which most correspond to the
accelerated pace of information exchange. The saturation of visualized images of the network space stimulates the use of such a
genre as a meme. The aim and tasks are to define the sociocultural characteristics of the meme phenomenon in public discourse,
in particular its place in the communicative paradigm of the information age. Research methodology. The most optimal component
of the methodological toolkit for studying the key features and functional potential of a meme in the conditions of the information age,
in particular in public discourse, should be considered a socio-cultural approach, which makes it possible to represent the key
characteristics of the specified genre as an integral component of the social reality of modern culture. Research results. Performing
the role of a kind of intermediary between the creator and the consumer of information, the mentioned communication tool shows
great adaptive ability and flexibility in adapting to the socio-cultural conditions of reality. A meme is perceived not only as one of the
main ways of fragmenting the changing surrounding world, as a manifestation of a person's attitude towards it but as a kind of social
code that regulates life activities. Discussion. Certain aspects of the sociocultural dimension of memetics are considered in the
works of S. Blackmore, R. Brody, and R. Dawkins, as well as Ukrainian scientists Zh. Denysiuk, O. Olenin, T. Poda, L. Skokov, and
others. Conclusions. The socio-cultural characteristics of a meme in public discourse are determined by the fact that it contains the
cultural meanings of the era, has the ability to instantly spread information, and easily attracts the attention of the mass consumer
due to the use of established stereotypes.