How can bildung-perspectives be integrated in contemporary theories on memes when viewed through a context of learning for democracy and participation?

Memes are a form of mediated message, most commonly associated with the internet, and more recently with social media (Shifman, 2014). Often in the form of pictures or videos that are remixed and shared by users on the internet, they afford a novel way of communicating ourselves, our interests, and our political identities.

In reviewing research done in the context of memes, democracy, and education, questions arise from the use of theory in the papers. First, what theories are used? How are they used, and what perspectives do these theories shed a light on? Second, and blooming from a german and Scandinavian tradition, how does bildung fit into these theories and perspectives, and why is it important to explore this avenue? The first is answered through a review that is near its finishing point. The second is answered through this conference presentation and subsequent article.

Bildung (a direct English translation is difficult to find), is a term describing human development in the broadest sense. Parts of our bildung is the shaping of our identity, but also our own critical evaluation of this shaping. Bildung is a process by which we become, and at the same time it is the product of what we are. A common saying is that bildung is what is left when you take away everything you’ve learned. It is who you are, who you are becoming, how you act and see the world. It could be useful to describe learning democracy and participation in the sense that it not only encompasses how we shape our political identities, but also how we shape our critical view of ourselves and the world, and most pertinent: how education plays into this. It is a self-reflexive phenomenon – as stated, our view of ourselves also shape our bildung. As stated by Breivega et al. (2019) in their chapter on democratic bildung in education, young people, albeit not of voting age, are already part of democracy, and as such should be considered democratic citizens - their modes of expression (i.e. memes and other digital communications) are of importance in this context, precisely because they afford a glimpse into how these democratic citizens make their voices heard. This has been researched before, by Burton (2019) among others. What has not been looked into however, is how the Norwegian bildung (danning) fits into the theory on memes (how some communication in a democracy is mediated). Can such a term be traced in the theory on memes? And why is it necessary? In Norway democracy and participation is formalized in the curricula as one of three transdisciplinary themes (UDIR, 2025). Norwegian students are set to learn about democracy and participation as part of all their subjects in school. Learning about memes as a form of the digital culture is presumed to be closely tied to the students bildung.

Futher, as stated by Harbo: “It would be fruitful for the emerging field of literature studying visual, participatory media to consider a knowledge approach, thus unravelling further digitally-mediated arenas for knowledge practice.” (Harbo, 2022, p. 9). This text will be an attempt to do just that, with the term bildung acting as a type of knowledge practice from a context of education.

The paper is part of my doctoral thesis, and builds on my earlier research.

Interpretations of theory are essential in this paper. Reaching conclusions are done based on subjective interpretations, which necessitates a transparent process in how the theory is read and understood. To illustrate, Berger (2015, p. 220-221) states a researchers’ positions to include age, gender, sexual orientation, theoretical and political stances, biases, beliefs and more. Further, she argues, that these aspects of the researcher could impact the research in three ways or perspectives, for this methodology the insider perspectives could be important. This perspective show the position of the researcher as familiar and knowledgeable about the topic which they study. The advantage of this is precisely the familiarity, affording perhaps an easier way of approaching the topic, along with previous knowledge which can be built on (Berger, 2015, pp. 222-224). On account of this, the way that I approach the topic is important to address in the paper. The reading build on a hermeneutic method, by interpreting the theories used and seeing them in context of other texts. Gadamer (1959, s. 34-35) writes that it is the task of hermeneutics to make visible weak or lacking understandings, or that there is a participation in finding a common meaning. By the hermeneutic circle we may achieve understanding by looking at the parts, and then get a sense of a whole, which in turn shed new light on the parts, giving us new perspectives on the whole, and so on. (Gadamer, 1959, s. 33-34). As I look into theory, and get a sense of the field, I see this in the context of education and democracy, which further gives new meaning to the theory. Searching for and finding the relevant theories in the field were done through a more comprehensive review that is still in production. The review focuses on the use of memes in the context of pedagogy and democracy and participation. This explorative review contains many different definitions and theories on memes, which are extracted and treated in this presentation. The aim of this process is to gain an overview of the theory, and interpret these in the context of bildung.

The theories in the field are shown, and viewed in light of the term bildung, in order to connects the theory on memes to education for democracy. Reading and interpreting these texts and terms in a hermeneutic fashion requires a transparent process particularly showing a discussion of how the terms might fit together. In so doing, a careful, albeit never neutral, handling of the terms is done. It is assumed that theories on memes can in some ways be understood to also incorporate bildung, but that this however is largely overlooked as a perspective - further necessitating showing its meaning as a bridge between the field of memes and education for democracy.

Berger, R. (2015). Now I see it, now I don't: researcher's position and reflexivity in qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 15(2), 219-234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794112468475 Burton, J. (2019). Look at Us, We Have Anxiety: Youth, Memes, and the Power of Online Cultural Politics [Article]. Journal of Childhood Studies, 44(3), 3-17. ://WOS:000487302600002 Harbo, T. F. (2022). Internet memes as knowledge practice in social movements: Rethinking Economics? delegitimization of economists [Article]. Discourse Context & Media, 50, 9, Article 100650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2022.100650 Gadamer, H, G. (1959). Forståelsens filosofi – utvalgte filosofiske skrifter. Cappelen Akademisk Forlag. Shifman, L. (2014). Memes in digital culture. MIT press. Utdanningsdirektoratet. (2025). Læreplanverket – overordnet del. https://www.udir.no/lk20/overordnet-del/