University of Liverpool
Humanities and Social Sciences
School of the Arts
Department of Communication and Media
Research Associate, Grade 7
£33,518–£38,833 pa
The Department of Communication and Media is seeking to appoint a Research Associate 0.6 FTE for two years to be part of a funded research project recently awarded through the ESRC titled: ‘#ladculture: Social networking sites, ‘laddism’ and young masculinities’. The research follows concerns about ‘lad cultures’ in universities and associated reports of sexual harassment and homophobia identified by the NUS in their 2012 ‘That’s What She Said’ report, and recent research by Amnesty International suggesting that 1 in 5 women had experienced online abuse.
Through online data, qualitative methods and discourse analysis, the project explores the idea of the ‘lad’ as an identity focus, to consider how toxic aspects of young masculinities (misogyny/homophobia) fit into a broader understanding of the lad, and lad culture, by young people (18–25) including its role in friendships, sport and humour.
The project aims to move beyond often-polarised reporting media discussions that demonise an out of control lad culture or suggest that concerns about lad culture are simply political correctness taken too far, to better theorise the formation and reproduction of masculinities online as part of young people’s gender-making practices including intersections with race, sexuality and class.
The project will make a societal impact by working in conjunction, and creating training outputs with, three community partners – Metro, Survivors Network, and the Goodlad Initiative.
You should have a completed PhD (post-viva) in the social sciences or humanities, have experience of designing, analysing and writing up qualitative research and have an interest in gender and/or sexual identity and (social) media. Experience of social media research is desirable. The post is fixed term, available until August 2020.
To apply, and for further details, please click here.
Source: University of Liverpool
