During Research Methods with Dr. Flippin-Wynn class at Jackson State University, she molded in our heads the true definition of “research.” In the textbook, research is what we call the form of disciplined inquiry that involves studying something in a planned manner and reporting it so that other inquires can potentially replicate the process if they choose (Frey 2001).

 

Research Methods has allowed us to further understand published works, learn to balance group and individual work, determine an area of strength, and collectively work together to come up with important sources to produce vital information. Being exposure to research methods has influenced The MMpire to know more and discover the endless possibilities of all there is to know and find out.

 

Four individuals from during backgrounds came together to make the MMpire a research group for Research Methods. Becoming a group we had to combine our critical thinking skills, along with our writing skills, with our digital abilities, creativity, and personal style we became the MMpire.

 

By engaging in a group research, we were allowed to find it easier to understand the rationales underlying our research. For example, only after working together and allowing each other to work on a specific duty in relation to our strengths, we were able to accomplish a great research pilot study.

 

Additionally, research methods has provided and instilled us with life lessons that would otherwise be unheard of in other courses. We found that it is very important to pay attention to detail and come to understand that timing and working together is vital to succeeding in every area of life. The most important lesson learned is that it is vital to balance workloads and work collaboratively. Researching is mostly performed in groups and each group member must learn to balance a collaborative effort with one another, ambitiously.

 

In summation, we have thoroughly conducted a pilot study (quantitative research) and have collected all necessary data to successfully support our findings of the possible influences that hip-hop music videos can have on those who watch them and the way they feel about African American women in those videos. 

 

Collecting data for this pilot study provided us with the opportunity to engage with our topic. We utilized non-random sampling and snowball sampling.

 

Our participation was very helpful during our study. We collected our data on the campus of Jackson State University and recruited bystanders to participate in our study. Participates filled out a consent form before doing the survey so that they could have a clear understanding on what our study was all about.

 

Because of its statistical nature, sample size is very important for quantitative research. Participants were also between the ages of 18 and 65 and could be of any race, gender and ethnicity. Our surveys were created and used to solidify our findings by investigation the viewings of hip-hop music videos and the possible negative effects that it can create towards the perceptions of African American women in those videos.

 

In attempts to keep our research as objective as possible, survey-takers were informed we would analyze their responses to successfully complete our research assignment. Since we were dealing with quantitative research that deals with numbers. We used a systematic data analyze program, SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science).

 

As student’s researchers at Jackson State University, we were able to conduct a research interview with a tenure track or tenure professor at Jackson State University and learn about their individual research and find out what they are currently doing in their disciplines. MMpire had the honor to interview Dr. Hilliard Lackey where we learned about his previous research on African American women in Greenville, MS.

 

The MMpire managed to get a good amount of information on our topic over the four months we conducted this whole task and research. Of course the task is never done since this topic will continue to change over the years. However, based on the survey questions, we can understand the questions and concerns of people in today’s society.

 

MMpire encourages African American women to stand up for what they believe in and change the world the by doing the right thing in today’s society. 

 

In conclusion, MMpire stands up for African American Women in Hip-Hop videos because you can’t judge a book by its cover without knowing the person story. Some African American women in Hip-Hop music videos did these videos because they needed the money to pay for school or bills. Society doesn’t know a woman’s struggle but seeing them in a video dancing half naked puts a negative view on them for life.

 

The MMpire- Aspen Wilson, Aniecia Brewster, Sydney Forbes, and LaPorshan Conerly would like to thank you for taking the time to review our research on The Media’s Negative Portrayals of African American Women in Hip-Hop Videos.