September 2026, № 3 (251), pages 104-109

doi: 10.25198/1814-6457-251-104

Scheglova M.I., Orlova E.V. PROFESSIONAL MEMES IN FORMATION OF PHILOSOPHER IMAGE AMONG STUDENTSWe examine professional memes as a pedagogically significant phenomenon of digital culture that influences the processes of professional training, socialization, and identity formation among students. Memes serve not only as a form of online communication but also as an informal didactic tool embedded in the hidden structure of professional education. They mediate the acquisition of “tacit knowledge,” facilitate the transition from an academic conception of the profession to its practical reality, and play a role in shaping students' professional attitudes and behavioral patterns. Memes help shape specific values, norms, and emotional patterns. The meanings conveyed by memes regarding the image of the “philosopher” profession can be classified into three types: first, a profession with a low rate of converting highly developed intellectual skills into career and financial success; second, a profession that transcends the “study” (or ivory tower), making all life situations objects of philosophical reflection; and third, a profession lacking concrete content, where the work essentially amounts to “waffling” or empty verbiage. This third type is often linked to references regarding marginalized practices. Themes of intellect and exceptionalism in memes help mitigate negative connotations surrounding the future profession of a philosopher, even amidst a high degree of ambivalence in meaning. The positive impact of integrating professional memes into the students' information environment stems from the dialectical nature of the phenomenon itself. While irony and humor — the primary methods for crafting a meme's idea or meaning — may reinforce negative stereotypes (often as a psychological defense mechanism for the creator), they simultaneously prepare students for the challenges associated with entering the profession and pursuing a career. In other words, while memes may entrench negative aspects of the profession — often in exaggerated form — exposing these realities familiarizes students with conditions of professional development that are typically obscured by conventional methods of learning about the field.Key words: memes, professional memes, online communication, philosopher, profession, socialization.

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About this article

Authors: Shcheglova M.I., Orlova E.V.

Year: 2026

doi: 10.25198/1814-6457-251-104

Editor-in-chief

Sergey Aleksandrovich
MIROSHNIKOV

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