REsearch Methods - Short Paper Option 4

Cooper: Research Methods

Short Paper Option 4: (Remember, you must do one of the three short paper assignments

during the semester.)

Due: Tuesday, April 21

Approximate Length: 3 typed, doubled-spaced pages

For this paper, I want you do a content analysis where you analyze gender, class, or racially based differences in two different media forms from the same genre. For instance, you could analyze the differences between 1) men and women’s magazines 2) an upper middle class sitcom versus a working-class sitcom or 3) a singer/band that appeals to White individuals versus one that appeals to non-White individuals.

For this assignment, you may decide to analyze 1) the advertisements in the media form, 2) the content of the media form you are analyzing or 3) both the advertisements and the content. Regardless of which media form you decide to study, be sure to use an appropriate sample. For instance, if you are going to analyze the differences between male and female magazines, make sure that you choose magazines that can accurately be called “male magazines” and “female magazines”.

The paper should follow the following guidelines:

1) Briefly describe the two media forms you have chosen (Approx 1/4 – 1/3 page).

2) Discuss and analyze the differences between the two media forms. Be as specific as possible! For instance, depending on the kind of content analysis you choose, you should address questions such as: how many ads were featured, what are the differences in the kind of songs the artists play, what are the differences in the ways working-class characters are portrayed versus those of upper middle-class characters. (2 – 2 ½ pages)

3) Were your findings what you expected? Why or why not? (1/2 page)

Be sure to come see me or e-mail me if you have any questions about the assignment.