QEN 101: Hashtag This

Hashtag This: How A Pound Sign Changed Language (QEN 101)

Born in 2007 as an organizational tool on Twitter, the hashtag has become a literary device in its own right, but is it bastardizing the English language or creating pathways for change? It can’t be denied that the rhetoric of social movements has gained traction through this simple symbol, as we’ve seen media platforms like tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and others explode with discourse surrounding the #blacklivesmatter (and subsequent #bluelivesmatter and #alllivesmatter) and #MeToo movements. In this course, we’ll explore the simple beginnings of the hashtag, and study how it has functioned both in language and in community.