Part 1:
My case study focuses on Islam and memes highlighting the problem of Islamophobia in society. This is a topic that is important to look into because it is something that Muslims have been facing for a long time, and these memes serve as a way to introduce people to the idea that Muslims are not what a lot of people claim that they are. For example, one of my memes starts with "Death to America," but continues, "'s federal ban on gay marriage, I stand with my homosexual brothers and sisters." My sample is made up of memes that I've found primarily through google searches. They are memes that give the impression that they come from an insider perspective because of their defensive nature of the Islam faith. They all have a sarcastic tone to them, and it plays a crucial way in how they portray and defend Islam. There are several stereotypes associated with Islamophobia. They include things like the assumption that all Muslims are terrorists, and that they are intolerant of anyone who doesn't hold the same beliefs that they do. The memes in my sample attempt to fight these stereotypes with sarcasm, and introduce the idea that Muslims are not actually violent and intolerant. The memes line up with the actual views of Islam in that Muslims would want the idea that they are violent and intolerant to be disavowed in any way possible, and that is what these memes do.
Part 2:
Offline religion and online religion are different in a lot of ways, but there are some similarities. One of the things that is considered in both instances is its authenticity. Authenticity can be defined as having "the quality of being real or true" (Campbell, 88). Some of the same things can be called into question offline and online to determine if a religion practice or ritual is authentic. Some consider the internet as perfectly capable of being a sacred space for religion to be practiced, while others believe that the use of the internet for religious purposes could alter religious ideology and practices in major ways (Campbell, 66). I would agree with those who believe that as long as a religious practice can be carried out in a way online that lines up with the beliefs and doctrine of the religion, and the person carrying out the practice is able to feel connected to what they are doing, it should be considered authentic religion. Digital culture echos the offline assumptions and stereotypes about Islam in that people are able to take to the internet to spread their Islamophobia. The stereotypes that exist which categorize Muslims as violent, intolerant, terroristic people are all over the internet in many different forms. People are able to post offensive things online under the veil of anonymity and face no backlash for their claims. Based on my research, I would argue that the relationship between the offline and online meanings and messages communicated about religion, specifically Islam, is a bridging relationship. The two contexts seem connected in that they are both able to promote the same message, but are distinct in that they communicate the message in different ways, under different circumstances.
Works Cited:
Campbell, H. (Ed.) (2013). Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds. New York, NY: Routledge.
Campbell, H.A. (2011). Understanding the Relationship between Religion Online and Offline in a Networked Society. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 80(1), 64-93.
My case study focuses on Islam and memes highlighting the problem of Islamophobia in society. This is a topic that is important to look into because it is something that Muslims have been facing for a long time, and these memes serve as a way to introduce people to the idea that Muslims are not what a lot of people claim that they are. For example, one of my memes starts with "Death to America," but continues, "'s federal ban on gay marriage, I stand with my homosexual brothers and sisters." My sample is made up of memes that I've found primarily through google searches. They are memes that give the impression that they come from an insider perspective because of their defensive nature of the Islam faith. They all have a sarcastic tone to them, and it plays a crucial way in how they portray and defend Islam. There are several stereotypes associated with Islamophobia. They include things like the assumption that all Muslims are terrorists, and that they are intolerant of anyone who doesn't hold the same beliefs that they do. The memes in my sample attempt to fight these stereotypes with sarcasm, and introduce the idea that Muslims are not actually violent and intolerant. The memes line up with the actual views of Islam in that Muslims would want the idea that they are violent and intolerant to be disavowed in any way possible, and that is what these memes do.
Part 2:
Offline religion and online religion are different in a lot of ways, but there are some similarities. One of the things that is considered in both instances is its authenticity. Authenticity can be defined as having "the quality of being real or true" (Campbell, 88). Some of the same things can be called into question offline and online to determine if a religion practice or ritual is authentic. Some consider the internet as perfectly capable of being a sacred space for religion to be practiced, while others believe that the use of the internet for religious purposes could alter religious ideology and practices in major ways (Campbell, 66). I would agree with those who believe that as long as a religious practice can be carried out in a way online that lines up with the beliefs and doctrine of the religion, and the person carrying out the practice is able to feel connected to what they are doing, it should be considered authentic religion. Digital culture echos the offline assumptions and stereotypes about Islam in that people are able to take to the internet to spread their Islamophobia. The stereotypes that exist which categorize Muslims as violent, intolerant, terroristic people are all over the internet in many different forms. People are able to post offensive things online under the veil of anonymity and face no backlash for their claims. Based on my research, I would argue that the relationship between the offline and online meanings and messages communicated about religion, specifically Islam, is a bridging relationship. The two contexts seem connected in that they are both able to promote the same message, but are distinct in that they communicate the message in different ways, under different circumstances.
Works Cited:
Campbell, H. (Ed.) (2013). Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds. New York, NY: Routledge.
Campbell, H.A. (2011). Understanding the Relationship between Religion Online and Offline in a Networked Society. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 80(1), 64-93.
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