Media,journalism and culture
Final Essay: Methodology
Question：Are there new forms of gendered violence online?
2500 words
The essay requires you to apply the knowledge introduced in the lectures and discussed in the seminars. The essay needs to provide evidence of research and will detail inter alia: methodological background; method and its application; discussion and conclusion. The essay will provide you with the opportunity to critically engage with different approaches to the research process. You need to select two research methods and explain why you want to choose them.
Question: Choose a theme/debate/issue/concern in regards to gender and digital media (e.g. sexting, online abuse, parenting, work, feminist activism, etc.) and write a methodology to investigate this, explain why you are choosing the approaches you are (suitability) and why you are not choosing others (limitations/unsuitability). You will need to begin with a research question to guide your methodology, which you will prepare with your seminar leaders in class. Here are some examples:
What are the feminist possibilities and constraints in the intersections between gender and digital cultures?
How has digital media changed the experience of parenting for women or men?
Is digital media changing the experience of gender in the workplace?
What are the gendered patterns of inequality in digital media production?
What are the gendered patterns of inequality in digital media consumption?
What are the Practices, Attitudes and Influences of Sexting for young women and men?
In what ways has digital media changed the experiences of masculinity/femininity?
Does digital media have liberation possibilities for women from marginalised backgrounds?
How is gender performed in a networked era?
Are there new ways to challenge gender stereotypes and gendered violence online?
Is digital media engineering a male dominated field? Why or why not?
In what ways do people gender their mobile phones and why?
Tip: for examples of how to write a methodology read the methodology section of research articles about gender and the digital media in peer-reviewed journals.
Length: 2500 words
Due date: 24th January, 2017

Topic: Are there new forms of gendered violence online?
Research methods:
1.Quantitative&Qualitative
Key Reading:
Bryman, A. (1988) Quantity and Quality in Social Research. London: Routledge. Read chapters 2 & 3. (Ebook available from Library)
Stokes, J. (2003) How to do Media and Cultural Studies. 1st ed. London: Sage. Read ‘Content Analysis’ pp. 56-67. (Ebook available from library)

2.Critical discourse analysis
Key Reading:
van Dijk, T.A. (2001) Critical Discourse Analysis, in Schiffrin D, Tannen D and Hamilton H E (eds.) The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 352-371. (E-book available from library)