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THE 15-M MEMEPLEX by Alexandra Corral Edmonds Submitted to The THE 15-M MEMEPLEX by Alexandra Corral Edmonds Submitted to the University Honors College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2015 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE This thesis was presented by Alexandra Corral Edmonds It was defended on August 4, 2015 and approved by Lester Olson, Chair & Professor, Department of Communication Gayle Rogers, Associate Professor, Department of English Mariana Achugar, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and Second Language Acquisition, Carnegie Mellon University Anne Demo, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania State University Thesis Advisor: Gordon Mitchell, Assistant Dean, University Honors College & Associate Professor, Department of Communication ii THE 15-M MEMEPLEX Alexandra Corral Edmonds, B.Phil University of Pittsburgh, 2015 Copyright © by Alexandra Corral Edmonds 2015 iii THE 15-M MEMEPLEX Alexandra Corral Edmonds University of Pittsburgh, 2015 This thesis examines Spain’s “15-M” protests and four citizen-led “follow-on groups” that have emerged since 15-M’s inception in 2011. These campaigns for social and political change resist tough austerity measures with protests that exhibit inventive textual, spatial, and visual communication practices. These practices can be explored by focusing on the extent to which 15- M’s “memeplex,” or ensemble of protest memes, has been replicated by the four follow-on groups. Application of conceptual tools drawn from argumentation, rhetoric, memetics, and semiotics supports study of each group’s communication strategies and practices. Artifacts for analysis include photographs, content from social media websites, interviews, news analyses, and blog entries. The thesis contributes to scholarly discussions of civic activism in Spain since 2011, intervenes into theoretical conversations regarding the rhetoric of social movements, and offers generalizable insights with regard to twenty-first century protest activity that may be useful for understanding other national contexts where citizens have rallied to inspire change using “occupy” tactics (e.g., the United States, Greece, Ukraine, and Brazil). iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE .................................................................................................................................. XII 1.0 15-M AND ITS MEMEPLEX ........................................................................................... 14 1.1 CRITICAL APPROACH AND CHAPTER ORGANIZATION ............................ 6 1.1.1 Memes, Memeplexes, and Michael Calvin McGee ........................................ 6 1.1.2 Isocratic Mimesis and Logos ......................................................................... 12 1.1.3 Chapter Organization .................................................................................... 18 2.0 INDÍGNATE ...................................................................................................................... 21 2.1 MORAL ARGUMENTATION ................................................................................ 27 2.2 ISOCRATIC MORAL ARGUMENTATION ........................................................ 33 2.3 15-M & MAI ‘68: INTERPELLATIVE MEMES .................................................. 38 2.3.1 Isocratic Moral Argumentation— Phase 1 .................................................. 38 2.3.2 Isocratic Moral Argumentation— Phase 2 .................................................. 42 2.4 A 15-M MEMEPLEX MEME: ISOCRATIC MORAL ARGUMENTATION .. 46 2.4.1 Plataforma Auditoría Ciudadana de la Deuda (PACD) ............................. 46 2.4.2 Yayoflautas/Iaioflautas .................................................................................. 52 2.4.3 Ahora, Tú Decides (ATD) .............................................................................. 56 2.4.4 Marea Blanca .................................................................................................. 66 v 2.4.5 Comparing Memetic Replications of 15-M’s Isocratic Moral Argumentation ............................................................................................................ 77 2.5 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 80 3.0 SOL ...................................................................................................................................... 83 3.1 ASAMBLEAS: EQUALITY, RESPECT, AND CONSENSUS ............................ 86 3.1.1 15-M’s Virtual Asambleas ............................................................................. 93 3.1.2 The Spatio-Temporality of Recovering the Greek Agora .......................... 96 3.2 ACTION, THE SPACE OF APPEARANCE, AND POWER ............................. 100 3.2.1 Judith Butler and The (Transportable) Space of Appearance ................ 103 3.2.1.1 15-M and The Space of Appearance ............................................... 109 3.2.2 15-M’s Use of Liminal Space ....................................................................... 111 3.3 THE INFLUENCE OF 15-M’S SPATIAL POLITICS ....................................... 117 3.3.1 Butlerian Occupation and 15-M ................................................................. 119 3.3.2 A Performance of Praeteritio ....................................................................... 120 3.3.2.1 15-M’s Performance of Praeteritio .................................................. 123 3.3.3 Marea Blanca ................................................................................................ 126 3.3.4 Yayoflautas/Iaioflautas ................................................................................ 128 3.3.5 Plataforma Auditoría Ciudadana de la Deuda (PACD) ........................... 130 3.3.6 Ahora, Tú Decides (ATD) ............................................................................ 133 3.3.7 The Memetic Replication of 15-M’s Occupation ....................................... 134 3.4 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 136 4.0 MALESTAR ECONÓMICO .......................................................................................... 139 vi 4.1 SEMIOTICS AND A “SEMIOTIC-TEXTUAL” APPROACH TO ANALYZING VISUAL TEXTS ............................................................................................................... 147 4.1.1 Visual Dimension .......................................................................................... 154 4.1.1.1 Denotation and Connotation ............................................................ 154 4.1.1.2 Interpictoriality ................................................................................. 158 4.1.2 Textual and Visual-Textual Dimensions .................................................... 161 4.1.2.1 Intertextuality ................................................................................... 161 4.1.2.2 Anchorage .......................................................................................... 165 4.1.3 A Semiotic-Textual Approach to Malestar Económico ............................. 168 4.1.4 15-M (Asamblea Popular de Alcalá de Henares) ...................................... 170 4.1.5 15-M (Acampada de Barcelona) ................................................................. 176 4.1.6 Follow-On Group’s Visual Media ............................................................... 181 4.1.7 Marea Blanca ................................................................................................ 182 4.1.8 Yayoflautas (Córdoba) ................................................................................. 190 4.1.9 Plataforma Auditoría Ciudadana de la Deuda (PACD) ........................... 197 4.1.10 Ahora, Tú Decides (ATD) .......................................................................... 204 4.2 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: 15-M AND THE FOLLOW-ON GROUPS ..... 211 4.3 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 215 5.0 MUDANZAS .................................................................................................................... 217 5.0.1 Nos vemos en los barrios pero también sabemos el camino de vuelta ..... 220 5.0.2 No Nos Vamos Nos Mudamos A Tu Conciencia ....................................... 225 5.1 15-M’S MEMETIC LIFE CYCLE ........................................................................ 228 5.1.1 Isocratic Moral Argumentation .................................................................. 231 vii 5.1.2 Occupation .................................................................................................... 232 5.1.3 Malestar Económico ..................................................................................... 234 5.1.4 Study Limitations and Future Areas of Study .......................................... 236 5.1.4.1 Study Limitations .............................................................................. 236 5.1.4.2 Future Areas of Study ...................................................................... 237 5.1.5 Re-contextualized Discussion of Research Questions and Findings ........ 240 5.2 EL PORVENIR: THE FUTURE OF 15-M AND FOLLOW-ON GROUPS ...... 243 5.2.1 Ley de Seguridad Ciudadana: Citizens’ Security or a “Gag Law”? ......... 244 5.2.2 The Meteoric Rise of Podemos ...................................................................
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