Introduction

 

Our questions reside around the question that every black woman asked herself when portrayed in hip-hop videos: Why do all black women have to be viewed as sexualized prisoners of the media? Why are the performances of women in hip-hop videos deeply affected by the historical nature of Black women's sexualized oppression? These research questions allow us to better obtain information about the historical and current portrayal of these women.

 

Throughout the 21st century, our views of life and perceptions of our society to date have become extremely interchangeable. With the ongoing advances in technology, specifically in relation to attaining entertainment and other various contents simultaneously, it has become more difficult to administer what’s all being exposed to us. Being exposed to us. Being exposed to content on a continuous basis, has a long-term cognitive effect, which shapes our views and perceptions. Through our objective research we were allowed to receive statistics, while also avoiding bias in measurement by using standardized measurement tools by using defined data categories. Basically, we measured actually what happens rather than how someone feels about what happens (perceptions.)

 

We took a quantitative approach to our research because it allows us to successfully reach our overall objective in answering our question. Our data was gathered by obtaining quantitative data by conducting surveys by using non-random probability and snowball sampling. Quantitative research works best for our research because it allows us to successfully reach our overall objective in answering our question.

 

In relation to media, it is where most individuals attain their information and then formulate their own opinions based upon what has been seen. Over time, those opinions can slowly generate into a foundation of beliefs.

 

We were provided with an umbrella topic of the perceptions of others, MMpire decided to target our research on the Media’s Negative Portrayals of African American Women in Hip- Hop Music Videos.

 

The negative images and factors that African American women associated with in today’s society have been heavily influenced by hip-hop’s nature of obnoxious usage of diction when referring to young African American girls and women.

 

During the research interview, MMpire had to use a tenure track or tenure professor from Jackson State University. This gave our group, The MMpire, the opportunity to speak personally with Dr. Hilliard Lackey, learn about his individual research and find out what he is currently doing with his disciplines.

 

MMpire would use scripted questions that would be closed ended questions. Dr. Hilliard Lackey would give straightforward answers without having any problems to respond. The research questions would help our group get more information towards our research.

 

MMpire will have to gather information for the IRB. The IRB application is required because it allows researchers to collect data on the campus of Jackson State University.

 

As MMpire completed the IRB process, we had to prepare to complete the CITI training before being allowed to do any research on Jackson State University’s campus. Every member in our group has to complete the certifications. MMpire had to complete the surveys on there on but will attach each certification along with the IRB submission.

 

MMpire is required to use SPSS to help collect all the data from the surveys. SPSS is a software package that is generally used for statistical analysis. The name originally stood for Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and is used for market and health researchers, survey companies, government officials, educations researchers, marketing organization, data miners and every day college students generally use the SPSS program. Statistics included in the base of the SPSS software include descriptive statistics, the prediction of numerical outcomes, and identifying groups within research studies. MMpire Research group will enter in questions in to the SPSS data collection group along with the answers that will come from fifty participants.

 

The MMpire’s research will be conducted from November 2015 to December 2015 and will be held on the campus of Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, and USA. Due to the content of the study, we asked the initial survey-takers who agreed to take part in the research to help identify other students and individuals who may be willing to take part in our pilot research study. Initial survey-takers help identify additional units that will make up our sample-size. The process continues until sufficient units (50 surveys) have been identified to meet the desired sample size. We are using a quantitative approach because it allows us to successfully collect numerical data to conquer our objective.

 

MMpire’s personal perspective and outlook on the influences of hip-hop music videos and the negative connotations that can also be involved throughout the media and will collect 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.