Identify a pressing contemporary social concern, research the issue, and design a small-scale quantitative study to explore the topic. Potential concerns could be, for example, young mother’s homelessness, migration crisis, racism, homophobia, domestic violence, poverty, sexism/abuse etc.
At least one scholarly source required in addition to the class readings.Suggested reading: Messner, M. & Garrison, B. (2010) Treadwell, D. (2011) Chapters1-111.
1. What, in your view, is one of the most pressing concerns of our time? For example, climate change? Read Treadwell chapters for quantitative research and decide on the topic that is feasible to study using quantitative approach.For example, climate change coverage and its impact on mental health?
2.Conduct a scholarly search on the topic of your choice to examine and assess how other scholars have approached your topic. Reference the sources to discuss the theoretical background of your study and refine and justify your own disposition.
3.Formulate a research question of your own, and a hypothesis. For example, what is the impact of climate change media coverage on mental health of the millennials and the elderly?
4.Design methodological tools: for example, decide how to operationalize climate change coverage and mental health (anxiety and stress); how to make them measurable?
5.Process, analyze, present, and discuss the data.
6.Revisit your hypothesis to prove, revise, or reject it. For example, extensive climate change coverage increases anxiety and stress more among the millennials than the elderly.
7.Summarize and discuss your findings in your report (appr. 8 pages, 1,5 spaced).
