Research
For my final university project I undertook a dissertation on online audiences of the CW show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. My research utilised virtual ethnography and critical discourse analysis to examine fan forums and decipher what discourses about mental health and Borderline Personality Disorder fans prioritise when discussing their reading of the show. I received a first for this paper and received feedback stating it was an excellent dissertation that was interesting to read and an original area of study.
My paper on current Social Media issues explored the current phenomenon of "Cancel Culture". To find out how online users felt about the movement, I created an online survey that got 47 responses. From this research paper, I found that people hold very nuanced views about how necessary cancel culture is, how lasting the effects are and saw that many link it to aspects of digital activism and online public shaming. I received positive feedback for this paper stating I demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the breadth of academic debate and had excellent engagement with current debates.
I conducted a textual analysis on the media representation of Taylor Swift and looked at which post-feminist discourses were at play within them. My research found that Swift's representation and reactions negotiate three key postfeminist features: self-surveillance, monitoring and self-discipline; individualism, choice and empowerment, and natural sexual differences. This paper received a high mark and crafted a strong argument backed up by insightful analysis and relevant scholarly references.
My paper on current social media's effect on crisis communication explored the outrage surrounding Dove's 2017 controversy. I conducted a textual analysis of the media and public response and Dove's apology and used Situational Crisis Communications Theory to give an analysis of the case study. This paper bought up interesting issues and debates surrounding social media such as "outrage culture" which I decided to analyse in more depth in my later paper on "Cancel Culture".
My paper used a questionnaire and interviews to gain both quantitative and qualitative data and explore the motivations Broadway and Kpop fans had for using the Tweet Notification feature. My research found motivations were linked to FOMO, fan community and interaction and suggested that there was a perceived hierarchy within these fandoms. This recieved a mark of 90% and has been used as example work for other students.
For my first assignment at University, I conducted a textual analysis on the discourses present within Supernatural fanfiction. This paper was used as example work for other students and received feedback stating it was "exceptional" and "beyond expectations" for a first-year student.
