Communication Research Paper Draft Task draft a 5-page research paper on topic approved. This will then be revised next week based of feedback.
Draft of research paper prompt:
You will identify a topic within the domain of communication that is of interest to you (e.g., interpersonal communication, strategic communication, public relations, rhetoric etc.), conduct a literature review of current research on the topic, identify a theory that helps explain the topic, and summarize issues and perspectives from your research in a 7-10-page paper. Your paper should have the following sections:
introduction,
literature review (organized by heading and sub-headings),
theory/theoretical framework (where you explain your chosen theory and connect it to the topic),
and a conclusion.
Your literature review should summarize relevant research/studies on the topic, identify major themes, summarize the associations between and across a set concept/ideas, and present your argument as to What the problem is (your topic for the paper), Who it affects, Why we should care, and What we can do about it (… not necessarily in that order, but addressing those issues). You’ll do a mini, half-page version for the introduction, and then expand on that in the rest of the literature review. A good literature review also utilizes academically rigorous articles to construct a persuasive argument. Your paper should be typed (12-point font), APA Style 7th ed., double-spaced, and it should include a reference page for all of the research that is cited.
This is the topic: FEEL FREE TO TWEAK IT BASED ON WHATEVER- The course is “communication theory graduate course” so as long as the there is some element of “comms theory” it fine. Also feel free to use any source you find. I’ve atthached a bunch.
I am interested in exploring how algorithmic bias in digital spaces perpetuates anti-fat bias, mainly through fat-shaming discourses and their intersection with misogyny. Building on my previous research into algorithmic bias and its implications for anti-fat discrimination, I plan to examine how social media health influencers—through their visual/ digital rhetorical —perpetuate and communicate anti-fat bias.
A potential theoretical framework may include framing theory to understand how discourse on digital social media spaces constructs our understanding of fatness. Drawing on standpoint theory, I can focus on the lived experiences of fat women and consider how other intersectional overlapping identities complicate or make fat-shaming worse.
Potential outline : Algorithmic Bias and Anti-Fat Discrimination: Examining the Digital Rhetoric of Social Media Health Influencers
1. Introduction
Algorithmic bias in digital spaces has become a growing concern, as it perpetuates various forms of discrimination, including anti-fat bias (Visibility Labour: Engaging with Influencers’ Fashion Brands and #OOTD Advertorial Campaigns on Instagram, n.d.). This study aims to explore how social media health influencers, through their visual and digital rhetorical strategies, contribute to the perpetuation and communication of anti-fat bias, particularly in its intersection with misogyny.
- Theoretical Framework
Drawing on framing theory, this study examines how discourse on digital social media spaces constructs our understanding of fatness. Standpoint theory is also employed to focus on the lived experiences of fat women, considering how intersectional identities may complicate or exacerbate fat-shaming. (Toward a Fat Pedagogy: A Study of Pedagogical Approaches Aimed at Challenging Obesity Discourse in Post-Secondary Education, n.d.) (Size Acceptance: A Discursive Analysis of Online Blogs, n.d.)
This research builds on previous investigations into algorithmic bias and its implications for anti-fat discrimination, with the goal of providing a comprehensive analysis of the digital rhetoric used by social media health influencers and its role in perpetuating anti-fat bias. (The Commodification of Body Positivity: Constructing a Neoliberal Fat Citizenship, n.d.)(Toward a Fat Pedagogy: A Study of Pedagogical Approaches Aimed at Challenging Obesity Discourse in Post-Secondary Education, n.d.)
2.1 Framing Theory
Framing theory suggests that the way an issue is presented, or “framed,” can have a significant impact on how it is perceived and understood by the audience (Toward a Fat Pedagogy: A Study of Pedagogical Approaches Aimed at Challenging Obesity Discourse in Post-Secondary Education, n.d.). In the context of this study, framing theory is used to explore how social media health influencers construct and communicate narratives around fatness, and how these frames shape the public’s perception of and attitudes towards fat individuals.
2.2 Standpoint Theory
Standpoint theory emphasizes the importance of considering the perspectives and lived experiences of marginalized groups, in this case, fat women. This theoretical approach allows for an examination of how intersecting identities, such as gender and body size, contribute to the unique challenges and experiences of fat women in digital spaces.
2.2 Standpoint Theory
Standpoint theory emphasizes the importance of considering the perspectives and lived experiences of marginalized groups, in this case, fat women. This theoretical approach allows for an examination of how intersecting identities, such as gender and body size, contribute to the unique challenges and experiences of fat women in digital spaces. (Toward a Fat Pedagogy: A Study of Pedagogical Approaches Aimed at Challenging Obesity Discourse in Post-Secondary Education, n.d.) (The Commodification of Body Positivity: Constructing a Neoliberal Fat Citizenship, n.d.)
- Algorithmic Bias and Anti-Fat Discrimination
Algorithmic bias, which is the systematic and unfair discrimination produced by automated decision-making systems, has been shown to perpetuate various forms of discrimination, including anti-fat bias. (Butchering the Fat Body: Enacting and Engaging Fatness in an American “Anti-Obesity” Campaign, n.d.) (Size Acceptance: A Discursive Analysis of Online Blogs, n.d.) This bias can be further compounded by the intersection of fatness with other marginalized identities, such as gender, as evidenced by the experiences of fat women. (The Digital Hood: Social Media Use among Youth in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods, n.d.)
- Research has demonstrated that social media and other digital spaces are key avenues for the perpetuation of anti-fat bias. Unchecked anti-fat bias within Western pop culture is often reflected in the types of comments and responses that fat individuals regularly encounter online. (Conceptualising Fatness within HCI: A Call for Fat Liberation, n.d.) As a result, social media has become a primary arena for research on the interaction between digital systems and fatness.
1.
- has highlighted the prevalence of anti-fat bias in digital spaces, particularly on social media platforms, where fat-shaming discourses and rhetoric contribute to the marginalization and oppression of fat individuals (Conceptualising Fatness within HCI: A Call for Fat Liberation, n.d.) (How to Ethically Engage Fat People in HCI Research, n.d.) (Fat, Black, and Ugly: The Semiotic Production of Prodigious Femininities, n.d.).
4. Digital Rhetoric of Social Media Health Influencers
Social media health influencers have become increasingly prominent in recent years, wielding significant influence over public discourse and perceptions related to health and wellness. Through their visual and textual content, these influencers have the potential to either challenge or perpetuate harmful stereotypes and biases, including anti-fat bias.
Recent studies have found that social media health influencers often perpetuate anti-fat bias through their digital rhetoric, reinforcing the notion that fatness is inherently unhealthy and undesirable (Taking the Social Justice Fight to the Cloud: Social Media and Body Positivity, n.d.)(Conceptualising Fatness within HCI: A Call for Fat Liberation, n.d.). This can have significant implications for the mental and physical well-being of fat individuals, who may internalize these negative messages and experience further marginalization and discrimination.