HSE University, Russia, Moscow, dmirzaeva@hse.ru
Social networks as a new means of influence form mechanisms of public censure. One of them is cancel culture, which can be defined as a conscious rejection of famous people. The article deals with terminological precision of the notion “cancel culture”. In particular, the article proposes the idea that cancel culture is not a culture, but a social practice. To confirm this idea, philosophical, sociological, anthropological and symbolic approaches to the concept of culture are analyzed, which confirm the inconsistency of the phenomenon under study with the notion of culture. Then, sociological theories are examined to identify similar elements that indicate that cancel culture is similar to social practices. Finally, the paper concludes by highlighting the terminological inaccuracy of the definition “cancel culture” and gives an alternative option, “social cancel practice”.
culture; discourse; cancel culture; social networks; social practice; culture
Download textFor citing: Mirzaeva D.U. (2023). Is cancel culture culture? Human being: Image and essence. Humanitarian aspects. Moscow: INION RAN. Vol. 4(56), pp. 59-75. DOI: 10.31249/chel/2023.04.04