Unveiling the Memetic Mask in the PH House of Memes During the 2022 Philippine National Elections

Date of Award

5-1-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Political Science, major in Global Politics

First Advisor

Diana J. Mendoza, PhD

Abstract

Taking place within the context of a Facebook meme community and during the 2022 Philippine elections, this study investigates how memes portray the dynamics of intertextuality in bridging discourse and context, looking into how memes become sites of discourse production and discursive contestation in Filipino digital spaces. It examines how memes mirror and reinforce the meme group’s shared references, while also striving to analyze the emerging narratives, themes, and positions from these memes. To this end, the research studies how memes allow “networked individuals” in the meme community to cultivate a unique user identity and a shared group identity. The meme community is referred to in this study as the PH House of Memes. In it, members post, share, and engage with memes pertaining to current developments in Philippine politics. The group has a partisan political identity and mostly posts content aiming to ridicule political figures and political parties, and make light of the current Philippine socio-political situation. It is understood that memes are discursive entities whose discursive patterns are grounded in other discourses and the broader socio- political context. Given this, the researcher utilized the case study method, grounded theory, and the discourse-historical approach (DHA) hand in hand to uncover how members articulate their political beliefs, values, positions, and thoughts on local, national, and global developments using the medium of memes. During the study, the researcher assumed a non-participatory role in the studied meme community during the entire collection process which took place from January 9, 2022 to June 8, 2022. This paper’s theoretical framework is also grounded on Benedict Anderson’s concept of imagined communities. Members of this Facebook group identify themselves as part of a larger meme community (PH House of Memes) with the assumption that their fellow members have a shared understanding of the memes they consume. Analyzing 2665 memes, the researcher uncovered that meme discourse centered on three main themes, namely (a) depictions of Philippine political dynasties, (b) expressions of support for competent leadership, and (c) the informed citizen. Four core discourses emerged from these themes and their respective subthemes, specifically the discourses of resistance, reform, memory, and justice. The researcher theorizes that memes are used by digital communities to construct and share their conceptions of what an ideal Philippine society is and what ideally constitutes good governance as a political alternative and vision to the populist style of governance that currently dominates Philippine politics.

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