DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2024.4.70410

Abstract: The study of digital humour and meme culture as a complex phenomenon, given the growing consumption and popularity of memes, especially among digital technology speakers, coupled with the scarcity of scholarly attention and research on this topic in Iran, has become increasingly relevant. This article focuses on the complex interplay between memes, culture and technology. By analysing the integral role of humour in Iranian digital culture, the study aims to explore the nature and functions of Iranian meme culture. The analysis shows that Iranian digital humour and meme culture function as a platform for equal opportunities to laugh, challenge established cultural norms and question prevailing ideologies. The research methodology is based on the reproduction of gender conventions and power hierarchies in Iran through internet memes. The methods applied are: content analysis, distributive and comparative. The study also builds on Bakhtin's concept of "chronotope" in multimodal analysis of memes common among Iranian immigrants. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that it makes a valuable contribution to the field of journalism and media studies, highlighting the importance of understanding the role of humour and memes in shaping public perception and navigating complex ideological landscapes, as well as the ways in which memes can be used to disrupt or alter these dynamics. The results of the analysis of Iranian digital humour and memes show that meme culture functions as a means to combat inequalities in power and status. In addition, the study demonstrated the Iranian population's reinterpretation of the immigrant experience, thereby reaffirming and refining their hybrid identity as transnational Iranians. This process unfolds through the recreation of different spatio-temporal configurations within the meme.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2024.2.69627

Abstract: Today, recruiting organizations, when selecting potential candidates for vacant positions, emphasize the importance of university graduates having developed communicative and scientific-analytical competencies, which are the main components of "soft skills" for students of the humanities cycle, more conducive to the formation of professionalism than "hard skills", due to the shift in society's priorities towards democratization and humanization socio-psychological principles of performance of official duties within the framework of professions. The purpose of this study is to identify methods and techniques for the formation of scientific, analytical and communicative skills at the international University among students of humanities. Intercultural communication in the context of the educational process, on the one hand, complicates the development of these competencies, on the other hand, requires improving the principles of teaching in the context of cultural dialogues, which determines the formation of the studied skills, taking into account the national and cultural specifics of the studied language and communication of the university where the foreign student is studying. These aspects are a prerequisite for successful integration into a potential professional environment. Research methodology: theoretical analysis of scientific literature on the issue under consideration, content analysis, descriptive and comparative methods. The novelty of the research is due to modern trends in improving the "soft competencies" of representatives of all professions in harmony with the global scientific space through the prism of effective intercultural communication. The results of the study indicate a mutual correlation of scientific, analytical and communicative skills, the synthesis of the main components of which contributes to the formation of metacognitive characteristics of students. It is advisable to form the studied competencies through role-playing games, memes, situational tasks, communicative professionally oriented trainings, the method of active problem-situational analysis ("case-study")

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2023.12.69211

Abstract: The subject of the research is the study of the influence of memes during crises. Internet memes as a communication tool and new media languages are able to create and spread emotions that can promote social cohesion, as well as increase social confidence, which is considered vital during crises. Given the importance of Internet memes as a powerful tool to strengthen social cohesion and trust in difficult times, it is important to give an idea of how memes and emotional contagion can be used in crisis communication. The aim of the study is to provide a more complete understanding of the role of Internet memes, especially during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in emotionally affected Iranian social media users. To achieve this goal, the study used a mixed-method approach, content analysis including COVID-19 memes on Iranian social networks and a quantitative survey using a questionnaire developed by the researchers. The statistical sample of the study consisted of 150 Iranian social media users who were randomly selected. The novelty of the research lies in the study of the function of memes in crisis communication and emotional contagion, especially in the context of Iran. The study expands the boundaries and offers new insights into how memes can be an effective tool to strengthen social cohesion and increase trust in difficult times. The focus of the study on the Iranian context also adds to its novelty, as it provides specific information that is not available in the existing literature. The study provides empirical support to politicians, especially Iranians, in tracking public opinion on critical topics, or in managing collective emotions via the Internet and stimulating and mobilizing public action by individuals. Memes can be used for crisis communication and public participation. The results of the study indicate the widespread use and recognition of memories in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of income tax information for expressing feelings and interest. Emotional contagion through memes is moderate and mostly mental, with respondents believing that memes are more effective, fast, and desirable than other types of messages and posts.