This week along with working on the ethnography, I have been thinking a lot about different communities, their ethos, the idea of being part of a community and a communities culture.

Communities in the real world usually share a common interest and ideas and involve actual interactions, where people take on specific roles within the community

Online communities may not meet face to face but also have a shared interest, and different roles

It brought me round to thinking about how information and culture from these communities is shared with one another and I came across Richard Dawkins (1976) concept of the “meme” from the greek word “mimema” which means “something imitated” an idea or behaviour that is shared from one to another, with the rise of the Internet this sharing has become more prolific and people are more aware of ideas and activities through this sharing – note phildevine’s ethnography – the rise in popularity of fell running through its links and ways of passing on information through social networking

“Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation.”
― Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

This has lead to the creation of new cultures – flash mobs and the current fashion for the Harlem Shake

On February 10, the upload rate of Harlem Shake videos reached 4,000 per day. As of February 11, about 12,000 versions of the popular Internet meme had been uploaded to YouTube, garnering over 44 million unique views. By February 15, about 40,000 Harlem Shake videos had been uploaded, totalling 175 million views.

I wish I could add the video of the one we did with the sixth formers but unfortunatley even though they share everything – I can’t share them!

Click here to view the embedded video.

If for example the Gangnam style song had been represented as a poem or a written song in a book. It is very unlikely it would have been watched and shared across the globe as it would have been inaccessible. However, with a catchy sound track, fun singer and amusing video it has become a global phenomena. “writing is giving way, is being displaced by image” (Kress 2005) I don’t agree that this is a dystopian effect, dumming down to appeal to the common denominator. I think it is positive and more inclusive and still allows people to add their own interpretation, fill in the gaps and make their own connections and links. Kress (2005) was right to suggest that new media makes it possible to use the mode that seems most apt for the purposes of representation and communication – so why not?

Which mode of representation do you find easiest to access and most enjoyable?

or………………

PSY Gangnam Style Lyrics

Oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style

Na je nun ta sa ro un in gan jo gin yo ja
Ko pi han ja ne yo yu rul a neun pum gyo gi nun yo ja
Ba mi o myon shim ja ngi tu go wo ji nun yo ja
Gu ron ban jon i nun yo ja

Na nun sa na ye
Na je nun no man kum ta sa ro un gu ron sa na ye
Ko pi shik gi do jo ne one shot te ri nun sa na ye
Ba mi o myon shim ja ngi to jyo bo ri nun sa na ye
Gu ron sa na ye

A rum de wo sa rang su ro wo
Gu re no hey gu re ba ro no hey
A reum de wo sa rang su ro wo
Gu re no hey gu re ba ro no hey
Ji gum bu to gal de ka ji ga bol ka

Oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style

Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op
Eh eh eh eh eh eh

Jong su ke bo wi ji man nol ten no nun yo ja
I te da shi pu myon mu ko ton mo ri pu nun yo ja
Ga ryot ji man wen man han no chul boda ya han yo ja
Gu ron gam gak jo gin yo ja

Na nun sa na ye
Jom ja na bo wi ji man nol ten no nun sa na ye
Te ga dwe myon wan jon mi cho bo ri nun sa na ye
Gun yuk bo da sa sa ngi ul tung bul tu ngan sa na ye
Gu ron sa na ye

A rum de wo sa rang su ro wo
Gu re no hey gu re ba ro no hey
A reum de wo sa rang su ro wo
Gu re no hey gu re ba ro no hey
Ji gum bu to gal de ka ji ga bol ka

Oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style

Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op
Eh eh eh eh eh eh

Twi nun nom gu wi ye na nun nom
Baby baby na nun mol jom a nun nom
Twi nun nom gu wi ye na nun nom
Baby baby na nun mol jom a nun nom
You know what I’m saying

Oppan Gangnam Style
Eh eh eh eh eh eh

Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op
Eh eh eh eh eh eh

Oppan Gangnam Style