Beachum & McCray (2004) point out that the media is the primary means of information dissemination for youth, and portrayals of hip-hop culture in the media is highly likely to influence African-American youth. The research will first analyze the content of hip-hop music, videos, and club culture to count instances of misogynistic or stereotypical gender roles. Ayana (2009) points out that women are portrayed as sexual objects, prostitutes, and also as socially submissive vs. males. The research will therefore begin with a thorough and honest account of how endemic these images are in hip-hop. Research questions include the following. Do African-American females fulfill the images of themselves portrayed in hip-hop? Do African-American males perceive and treat African-American females based on input from hip-hop culture? The research hypothesis is as follows. Exposure to mainstream hip-hop culture reinforces misogynistic gender roles and norms, and affects both African-American males and females.

Next, a research sample will be comprised of African-American youth. The study will focus exclusively on the effects of hip-hop culture on African-American young men and women, to determine...

Hip-hop is historically and remains an emblem of African-American culture. Participants will be selected on the basis of their exposure to hip-hop culture. Youth who listen to hip-hop, watch videos, or attend live events regularly (a minimum of ten hours of exposure per week) will be selected for the study.
Data will be collected via self-report surveys and observation. The researcher will administer a survey asking about participants' beliefs about gender roles. The survey will include fictitious scenarios that participants will be asked to comment on. Additionally, the researcher will obtain approval from the participants for a period of observation. Behaviors such as language used to talk to women, language used to talk about women, and especially gestures and behaviors related to women will be tabulated. Results will be quantified to determine if exposure to hip-hop culture affects perception of gender and gender-related behaviors.

References

Ayana (2009). The exploitation of women in hip-hop culture.

Beachum, F.D. & McCray, C.R. (2004). Cultural collision in urban schools.

Stewart, P. (2004). Who's playin' whom?