Making Memes As Both a Community Building Activity and Data Collection Method

Background and Purpose: Memes are most often thought of as images with added text which are quickly circulated via the internet, or over text message, to communicate humor, politics, a particular cultural perspective or a current social issue (Davidson, 2012; Majmundar et al., 2023). However, memes can be used as a data collection tool that catalyzes community building and generates rich phenomenological data which gives insight into lived experience (Iloh, 2021). The use of memes as research data is new, with very few studies using memes (see Gbadegesin, 2019; Knobel & Lankshear, 2007) and no methodological studies providing guidance on how to incorporate memes into participatory action research (PAR). Therefore, this proposal offers a case study in incorporating memes as a data collection method in PAR projects.

Methods: Similar to photovoice, the use of memes in research allows participants to illustrate their experiences and be the center of their stories (Iloh, 2021). In the example study for this proposal, memes were collected as pre and post data as part of a larger PAR study that also used interviews and survey data. Participants were young LGBTQ+ college students who lived in a residential learning community together. The students worked alongside the lead researcher and learning community staff to create a study that allowed them to authentically express themselves and illustrate their feelings and experiences. This proposal discusses how participants can work alongside researchers to generate and analyze memes while building community.

Results: The case study found three themes for the pre and post data: identity realizations, community, and in-group messages. Students employed memes to describe how they felt about themselves and the sociopolitical events going on around them. For example, one student created a meme which shows a webcomic in which a person is reaching for a yellow balloon labeled “being proudly gay.” In the following comic panel, a pink character labelled “the state of Texas” is pulling the person away from the yellow balloon (see meme template here: https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/Running-Away-Balloon). This illustration speaks to the profoundly negative impact that harmful policies can have on young LGBTQ+ people, especially related to how they feel about themselves. Other students shared memes in the pre and post findings illustrating queer joy and euphoria about their pronouns, gender expression, chosen names, and romantic feelings.

Conclusions and Implications: Using engaging research methods is essential, especially when working with young people who may feel disconnected from traditional approaches. This project explored memes as an arts-based tool for data collection, offering a creative, culturally relevant way for participants to express complex ideas and emotions. Memes supported meaningful engagement and highlighted the value of digital media in participatory action research (PAR). As PAR evolves, tools like these can amplify the voices of those often left out of research spaces.