
Research Projects
DIY: Digital Safety (2022-2027).
Led by Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes, this 5-year Insight Grant funded by SSHRC aims to understand the educational, policy, and legal issues with Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV) across Canada and create resources that empower young people and help them stay safe online and in-person.
Effects of Emotional Labour on Adult Education Providers (2024).
Led by Ms. Cathrine Becker, this study explores the experiences of post-secondary education providers to understand how emotional labour is performed for students, how this sample understands their interactions with students, and how emotional labour is distributed among these educators.
Investigating the intersections of manosphere masculinity and Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV) in and around secondary schools in Ontario (2023-2025).
Led by Dr. Salsabel Almanssori (University of Windsor), this is a 2-year SSHRC grant that will investigate student, teacher, and administrator experiences of manosphere masculinity and TFSV in and around Ontario secondary schools. The project will provide insights into how educators, schools, school boards, and community organizations can better support students who experience various forms of harm related to manosphere masculinity and TFSV.
Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence among Young People: Synthesizing the Research to Support Digital Safety for Young Canadians (2023).
Led by Dr. Alexa Dodge (Saint Mary’s University), this SSHRC funded knowledge synthesis grant involves hiring RAs to conduct knowledge synthesis of educational policies and curriculum around Canada regarding Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence. We produced one report in both English and French.
Tackling Gender-Based Technology-Facilitated Violence and Abuse: Reimagining a gender-equitable world (2022-2025).
Led by Dr. Jaigris Hodson (Royal Roads University), this SSHRC funded grant will refocus discussions of GBTFVA away from targets/victims of abuse to bystanders who can have a direct impact on mitigating online abuse and its impacts. We will also design, develop, and evaluate new educational materials and approaches for digital bystander intervention. The project will address issues of systemic discrimination and abuse of women, transgender, two-spirit, and gender non-binary individuals in online spaces by refocusing responsibility for GBTFVA in the service of a gender-equitable world.
“You will bloom if you take the time to water yourself”: A content and thematic analysis of #instagramvsreality images and captions on Instagram (2024)
Led by Ms. Meaghan Furlano, this study conducts a content and thematic analysis of images and captions from #InstagramVsReality on Instagram to identify who participates in this popular trend, what the trend reveals about contemporary body culture, and how the trend fits in relation to broader movements such as feminism, body positivity, and media literacy.
TradwifeTok: An exploratory study of online identity among tradwives
Led by a team of researchers in the GEMS Lab, this study conducts a thematic analysis of videos tagged with the hashtag #tradwife on TikTok to explore how tradwives construct their identities as social media content creators. We pay careful attention to the aesthetic and narrative elements that tradwives use to make their online identities recognizable and visible.