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Open research questions in Gender, Feminism, and Media

170 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 7,828 Gender, Feminism, and Media papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Fourth, the underrepresentation of transgender and gender-diverse adolescents (only four of 30 studies) constitutes a serious limitation reflecting a conceptual gap in the literature rather than merely a data shortage.

    Revealing Barriers to Identity Exploration Among Sexual Minority Youth in Social Media Environments: A Systematic Literature Review · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could explore the psychological and social implications of this phenomenon—both its benefits and its drawbacks. The finding that users recognize the superficiality of social media yet believe themselves to be honest warrants further investigation. This finding is inconsistent with several prior studies, including Pásztor and Bak’s (2020a, 2020b) work on FoMO and Akram and Kumar (2017) research on distorted body image influenced by social media.

    The Creation and Social Perception of Virtual Identities in Generation Z · 2026 · DOI

  • Therefore, future research is recommended to employ quantitative longitudinal studies or mixed methods to empirically test the effects of media literacy interventions, team emotion regulation, and digital resilience on the sustainability of the direct impact of social activism. However, because this narrative literature review focused on synthesizing secondary data from published articles, the findings are limited in capturing the psychological dynamics of activists directly in the field.

    THE NEW AVENGERS: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND TEAMWORK IN DIGITAL ACTIVISM – A LITERATURE REVIEW · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could examine a broader range of platforms, compare reactions across different cultural contexts, or combine discourse analysis with interviews or surveys to better understand how individuals interpret and emotionally process suicide-related events beyond public online expression.

    Online public discourse reflects Confucian values in response to fatal falls in a Vietnamese mall · 2026 · DOI

  • Although this study provides a significant overview of Quilombola communities in the state where the research was carried out, it is limited because it was not possible to conduct in-depth interviews with leaders in the regions of Norte de Minas and the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys due to a lack of resources. Those are semi-arid regions, often plagued by drought, and are the poorest areas in the state. We plan to pursue this investigation further. We have already submitted applications for funding to broaden the research and gather a more comprehensive sample of the reality of the quilombos in Minas Gerais, with a particular focus on those regions.

    Quilombola Women Confronting Digital Discrimination in Brazil: ICT Access as an Axis of Intersectional Oppression · 2026 · DOI

  • Th is analysis examines how the Coffi n Dance produces meaning through formal composition but cannot account for why it became a global meme or how diverse audiences interpret it. A reception study examining user- generated remixes (fail compilations, TikTok adaptations, political appropriations) would reveal whether viewers read the video as celebratory, ironic, or both, and how these readings shift across cultural contexts. Ethnographic work with the pallbearers themselves and with Ghanaian 51 Modern Africa: Politics, History and Society | 2026 | Volume 14, Issue 1 audiences could clarify intended meanings behind the choreography, which may diff er from the circulating meanings analysed here. Future research could compare the original video with its derivative meme forms to trace how semiotic elements (gesture, colour, rhythm, spatial logic) are retained, transformed, or discarded in remediation. Do fail videos preserve the kinetic energy (Figs. 3, 6) or only the iconicity (Fig. 8)? How do diff erent meme formats (GIFs, image macros, video compilations) privilege diff erent aspects of the source material? Additionally, analysing other examples of African cultural performance that circulate as memes (South African gqom dance videos, Nigerian wedding celebrations) could reveal whether the formal logic identifi ed here (fl atness, iconicity, designed reproducibility) is unique to this video or indicative of a broader memetic aesthetic that structures how non-Western cultural practices are translated for global digital circulation.

    Coffin Dance Mania in Ghana: Visual Rhetoric and Cultural Context in the Internet Age’s Take on Death · 2026 · DOI

  • While this study provides a detailed qualitative analysis of regulatory erosion and visual aesthetics in Pakistani dramas, certain limitations must be acknowledged: 1. Absence of Producer Perspectives: A primary con- straint of this research is the lack of primary data from industry professionals, such as directors, producers, and scriptwriters. Their subjective rationale for “crea- tive workarounds” could provide deeper insights into the commercial-regulatory conflict. 2. Subjectivity in Interpretation: As a qualitative study focused on visual semiotics, the interpretation of “bold- ness” or “sensuality” is inherently subjective and influ- enced by the researchers’ socio-cultural perspective. 3. Lack of Quantitative Data: The study does not employ quantitative methods, such as frequency counts or large- scale audience surveys, which limits the ability to sta- tistically generalize the findings across the entire media industry. 4. Genre Specificity: By focusing exclusively on romantic dramas, the study excludes other genres like social-issue dramas or comedy, where regulatory compliance pat- terns might differ. 5. Non-representative Audience Data: The reliance on social media comments captures only the vocal segment of the digital audience. Due to the lack of demographic data (age, gender, socioeconomic status) of these com- menters, the findings regarding audience sentiment should be viewed as exploratory rather than a definitive measure of broad audience polarization. Future Research Future studies should incorporate semi- structured interviews with media executives and PEMRA officials to bridge the gap between production intent and regulatory enforcement. Additionally, a mixed-methods approach combining content analysis with audience sur- veys would help quantify the “cultivation” effect on different demographic groups in Pakistan.

    Bold Dressing and Intimate Scenes in Pakistani Dramas: A Qualitative Study of PEMRA Guidelines and Channel Practices · 2026 · DOI

  • The WoSCC TreeMap analysis further highlights “experience” and “privacy” as prominent areas, whereas “race,” “culture,” and “addiction” appear to be insufficiently examined.

    Parenting in the Age of Social Media: A Bibliometric Analysis of “Sharenting” with R · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the findings from the GMMP reports, as well as the analysis conducted by Plan International and numerous other works, underscore that despite evident social changes worldwide—particularly in the educational, labor, and social realms for women—access to truthful and high-quality information remains elusive.

    Together against “the Truth Gap”: A Proposal to Fight Invisibility and Misinformation Affecting Women · 2024 · DOI

  • Drawing on media production studies, this research observes the understudied figure of the scriptwriters of fictional series to identify their feelings about different audiences and the way they respond to LGBTQ+ characters and narratives.

    Scriptwriters’ Conceptions of Audience Attitudes Toward LGBTQ+ Characters · 2024 · DOI

  • The discussion-based event featured two panels and a vibrant open question and answer session that highlighted many of the complex issues that TikTok researchers are facing.

    Commentary & Reflections from the TikTok Methodologies Discussion Forum · 2023 · DOI

  • The paper explains the censorship standards of the Chinese National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) regarding how the male image is conveyed: Men must achieve predictable social relationships with authorities and cannot be limited to their personal intimacies, let alone be regarded as objects of desire.

    Strategic mouthing of words: the Chinese bromance drama <i>Word of Honor</i> , censorship and gender stereotypes · 2023 · DOI

  • Here, focusing on the understudied social media platform Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), we analyze the online discussion sparked by the stand-up comedy acts of Chinese female comedians.

    #AverageYetConfidentMen: Chinese stand-up comedy and feminist discourse on Douyin · 2023 · DOI

  • Since 2015, depictions of abortion on television have increased significantly, including on comedic television, which had rarely addressed the topic in years prior.

    A not so special episode: laughing at abortion on television · 2022 · DOI

  • The findings show that while it was rarely addressed in the first half of the twentieth century, public discussion of homosexuality increased significantly around 1950 and included grave concerns regarding the existence of male homosexuals in Reykjavík.

    Sódó Reykjavík: How Homosexuality was Brought into Discourse in Early and Mid-Twentieth Century Iceland · 2022 · DOI

  • The present exploratory study, which involved 173 students from a primary school in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), aims to investigate the role of social media and influencers in the formation and expression of the identities of children, highlighting a universe little known and only superficially explored by teachers and adults with educational roles.

    Pratiche mediali, social media e influencers nella formazione e nell’espressione identitaria dei bambini: una ricerca esplorativa · 2021 · DOI

  • American Olympic athlete and former reality television star Caitlyn Jenner remains a polarising figure in discussions of celebrity culture, transgender visibility, and social activism due to her conservative political views and limited knowledge about the issues non-famous transgender people face in society.

    Social media’s commodified, transgender ambassador: Caitlyn Jenner, celebrity activism, and social media · 2020 · DOI

  • However, little is known about the constitution of internet celebrity on TikTok yet, and existing models of internet celebrity on predecessor apps like Instagram and YouTube do not neatly apply to the distinctive terrain of TikTok.

    Mapping Internet Celebrity on TikTok: Exploring Attention Economies and Visibility Labours · 2020 · DOI

  • This paper deploys a case study of the first transgender lead character in Flemish television fiction—Kaat Bomans in the soap opera Thuis [Home] (één, 1995–)—to engage an underexplored distinction between the televisual dissemination of identity norms that regulate the embodied difference of sexual and gender minorities and ethical norms that prescribe moral modes of interacting with social difference.

    Indifference and queer television studies: distinguishing norms of existence and coexistence · 2020 · DOI

  • Abstract There is a large body of literature examining the media portrayals of white females as both victims and offenders in crime news, but very little is known about how minority females—including Black, Latina, Middle Eastern, Native American, and Asian women and girls—are portrayed in these roles.

    The representation of women and girls of color in United States crime news · 2019 · DOI

  • The paper utilises thematic analysis in researching the content and imagery of three British reality television programmes and one documentary filmed in Magaluf and adds to the under-researched and limited work on reality television and theoretical understandings concerning the relationship between reality television and destination image.

    Shagaluf: reality television and British working class heterosexuality on holiday in Mallorca · 2019 · DOI

  • The essay ends by briefly outlining of directions for further research, urging further investigation into wearable tech exhibiting gendered attitudes toward “femme” women, and calling for increased attention to issues raised by wearable technology's coming merger with the growing fields of biotech and synthetic biology.

    Wearable tech, bodies, and gender · 2017 · DOI

  • Conducting close readings on and accounting for the mechanics of an understudied genre within the field to advocate for greater study of both game mechanics and girl games, I demonstrate how the availability of choice intrinsic in girl games provides opportunity to explore how players are constructed as neoliberal subjects.

    Gendered Choices: Examining the Mechanics of Mobile and Online Girl Games · 2017 · DOI

  • We examine a relatively under-explored form of blogging, common to Iran, which we call ‘love blogging’, and we carry out a qualitative analysis of a small sample of four blog postings from different Iranian women which are used to illustrative different techniques that women use in order to challenge hegemonic gendered discourses in their society.

    Resisting silence · 2017 · DOI

  • This article builds on research regarding the potential and limitations of hashtag feminism to consider a question that remains understudied: what is the process through which a feminist hashtag develops into a highly visible protest? Through a case study of #WhyIStayed, which arose in response to a 2014 NFL domestic violence controversy, I frame hashtag feminism as an extension of the movement’s historically rooted discursive tactics.

    “Hope in a hashtag”: the discursive activism of #WhyIStayed · 2016 · DOI

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170 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 7,828 Gender, Feminism, and Media papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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