Professor: Imani Cheers
Department: SMPA
Research Title: “It Takes a Village: The Basics of Boyhood and Methods for Manhood”
Description: “It Takes A Village: Basics of Boyhood and Messages for Manhood” is an interdisciplinary qualitative multimedia research project that examines the passionate and purposeful images of Black men seen in mainstream social media platforms, Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube. This project is specifically interested in examining how social media impacts the public and mental health of both content creators and the broader Black community. Using the qualitative research methodology and theoretical framework, photovoice, “It Takes A Village” is titled after the African proverb that acknowledges the importance of family and community in raising and rearing children.
At the core of “It Takes A Village” is a commitment to providing the broader public, mainstream journalists and policymakers an understanding of digital media’s influence on public dialogue and opinion surrounding the holistic representation of Black men as boys, men, friends, fathers and partners.
Research Assistant Duties: We are looking for a detailed orientated student interested in data analysis and social media content creation to assist with a project with the Institute for Data, Democracy and Politics. Students would be responsible for conducting research about Black masculinity, writing articles and managing social media accounts.
Number of openings: 2
Average weekly time commitment: 5-7 hours
Credit hour option*: 3 credits
Submit Resume/Cover Letter to: Professor Cheers (imanimcheers@gwu.edu)
*If seeking academic credit, you must complete an Honors Contract.
