Is it in the Game? Study
This research project, entitled "Is it in the Game?: Reflections of Race-Based Stereotypes in EA SPORTS FIFA 22" was an investigation into the way that athletes of different skin tones were being portrayed within the context of sports video games. In-game avatars were coded for having light, medium, or dark skin tones before an analysis of their in-game attributes was run using SPSS to uncover whether any statistically significant differences existed between the avatars.
Results for this study indicated that white athletes were being portrayed as having significantly higher mental attributes than black or brown athletes while having significantly lower physical attributes. Black athletes were being allocated significantly lower mental attributes in-game but statistically higher physical attributes.
Social Media and National Identity Book Chapter
This book chapter was one I co-authored with one of my advisors at the University of Alabama, Dr. Andy Billings. Together, we explored the impact that national identity plays on the production, consumption, and reception of sport via social media channels. The chapter provides a foundation for scholarly investigation into the impact of social media within a sporting context while advising industry professionals on a best practices for using social media to engage with their audience of loyal consumers.
Celebrity Athlete and National Identity Master's Thesis
My Master's Thesis, entitled ""Hardly Home but Always Reppin'":Celebrity Transnational Athletes and Representations of National Identity," was an exploration into the role that high-profile global athletes play in representing national identity for their home nation. Many athletes serve this role when playing for their national team, but a select few become synonymous with their nation year-round, serving as a global ambassador for their country, religion, or culture wherever they go. Through a thematic content analysis of news articles featuring select athletes from both their home country as well as their country of employment as well as each athlete's social media, I sought to explore how they were both being represented as a symbol of their country, but also how they were representing themselves in that same light.