This study analyzes the top-circulated Facebook memes relating to critical race theory (CRT) from May 2021 to May 2022. Using image clustering techniques and critical discourse analysis, the researchers find that both pro- and anti-CRT memes deploy similar rhetorical tactics to make bifurcating arguments, most of which do not pertain to the academic formulations of CRT. Instead, these memes manipulate definitions of racism and antiracism to appeal to their respective audiences. The study argues that these memes are not just a symptom of post-truth politics, but rather part of a larger political epistemology that produces meaning.
Publication date: 6 Oct 2023
Project Page: www.sagepub.com
Paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2310.03171
