Introduction
The article to be analyzed is “Conflicting Paradigms on Gender and Sexuality in Rap Music: A Systematic Review,” written by Denise Herd and published in the Sexuality & Culture scholarly journal in 2014. The author argues that in literature dedicated to sexuality and gender in rap music from several perspectives, conflicting paradigms – for instance, of sexual agency or misogyny – emerge and that few investigations are both conceptually significant and evidence-based.
The author aimed to examine and contrast the studies on sexuality and gender in rap music through a multidisciplinary standpoint that transcends conceptual and methodological barriers. The audience seems to be an informed population with an exact extent of background in the social and behavioral sciences field. It might be argued that Herd follows the best academic practices within the scope of her research – she tends to avoid emotional appeals, and her arguments are visibly grounded and supported.
Summary
Herd (2014) states that rap music has significant social and cultural relevance for American and international teenage audiences, and it is considered that, together with other media. Nevertheless, few health-related studies have examined the substance of sex and gender-related lyrics, with the majority of research in this field focusing on the consequences of media depictions of sexual activity and problems. Herd (2014) compares the existing literature in this field from a wide range of viewpoints, including feminism, cultural studies, sociology, and health and behavioral research.
In this literature, contradictory concepts, such as sexual agency or misogyny, develop, and few investigations are both theoretically and empirically robust. Herd claims that future studies should address this gap as well as investigate changes through time in how sexual and gender issues have been represented in rap music.
Critical Appraisal
Evidence
The kind Herd’s research itself is a literature review of academic publications. Hence, she cites and quotes authorities constantly so that the train of thought can be solid and coherent. No issues in this regard were identified – the author follows the best scholarly practices here. The only aspect that is being clarified is the relevance of sources. Herd (2014) investigated the theme from a broad perspective, which implied the examination of sources older than five years from the article’s publication date. Still, the rationale seems relevant and appropriate, given Herd’s findings stressed above. It should be emphasized that all the explored materials were peer-reviewed, directly related to the topic, and available for acquaintance.
However, Herd’s authority in this area can be questioned – although she is a recognized professor in the medical sphere, her competencies in the framework of rap music and its content seem arguable. Then, even though Herd provides the qualitative study – a literature review – she could have included some statistical data from quantitative academic inquiries that she examined to enhance her arguments.
Methods
The author follows the basic principles of academic writing and does this significantly. There are complex sentences with numerous references, as well as justified rationale. Given that her audience appears to be well-informed, possessing a specific level of expertise in social and behavioral sciences, the article’s tone and word choices are appropriate. All the terms that may need clarification are satisfactorily defined. However, some basic notions like ‘rap music’ or ‘feminism theory’ were not defined, but, again, given the intended audience that should have some background, such an approach seems acceptable.
It should be noted that Herd (2014) does not use emotional appeals and methods like satire, irony, or sarcasm, which stays in line with the academic writing style. Then, counterarguments are adequately considered, but it should be clarified that these manifest as conflicting positions of the examined literature – not opposite opinions to Herd’s perspective. For instance, Herd (2014) argues that some schools of feminist theory have suggested that depictions of females and gender relations mirror the historical oppression linked with slavery and dominance, while others have concentrated on themes of women’s strength within the music. Again, given the research’s kind – a literature review, such a method is proper.
Conclusion
To conclude, Herd adheres to the finest academic standards within the field of her study since she prefers to avoid passionate appeals, and her ideas are well substantiated. The only point that could enhance her rationale is including numerical data from the reviewed literature. However, her authority within the scope of rap music may be questioned.
Reference
Herd, D. (2014). Conflicting paradigms on gender and sexuality in rap music: A systematic review. Sexuality & Culture, 19, 577–589.