PhD Studentship: Suicide and Media

Project:

Media has transformed significantly in recent years, impacting how we engage with it, particularly in regards to suicide-related content online. This project aims to critically analyse the portrayal of suicide in contemporary media and its effects on public perceptions and attitudes towards suicidality. By employing a social justice lens, it seeks to understand impact on behaviour and implications for suicide prevention.

Proposed methods include: Discourse Analysis, which deconstructs language, representations, and narratives in media content, uncovering prevailing attitudes and ideologies; Psychological Autopsy of media coverage, investigating specific suicide-related media to understand influencing factors and audience effects.

Through these methods, the research aims to illuminate the complex relationship between media representations of suicide and their impact on public perception, attitudes, behaviour, and prevention efforts. This research will contribute to fostering a more informed and empathetic approach towards suicidality, with the ultimate goal of promoting mental health and preventing suicide in society.

For informal enquires please contact:

Dr Jo Bell: j.bell@hull.ac.uk

About the Research Cluster:

This project is part of the interdisciplinary Suicide Prevention and Social Justice cluster (4 PhD scholarships), which brings together suicide prevention, media & literature studies, domestic abuse, addictions, health inequalities and education expertise to shape novel theories for prevention.

Supervisors:

Dr Jo Bell, Dr Duncan Hunter, Dr Chris Westoby

Funding:

• The successful applicant will receive a fee waiver and a maintenance grant / stipend for three years (full-time) or six years (part-time), which covers the research period of the PhD. The fee waiver for 23/24 is £4712 (Home fee) and the maintenance grant is £18622 per annum. This rises each year in line with the UKRI’s recommended stipend allowance.

• If you need to move into a fourth year (full time) or seventh year (part-time) to complete your thesis, please note that you will not receive a tuition fee waiver or maintenance grant during this period and you will be required to pay a continuation fee.

Entry Requirements:

Applicants should have a minimum First Class degree in a Psychology / Social Science / Humanities related subject and a taught MSc or Masters by Research in a relevant subject, or other research credentials.

For more details on our entry requirements please visit the postgraduate admissions webpage.

This scholarship is available for full-time and part-time study.

International applicants:

This opportunity comes with a Home fee waiver only, which will not cover the full International fee. You will therefore need to pay the difference between the Home fee and the International fee and will need to provide evidence that you have sufficient funds to cover this.

English Language requirements:  IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 5.5 in each skill.

How to Apply:

You will need to supply a personal statement when applying for this scholarship position. Find out more about writing a personal statement.

Apply Here

Closing Date: 15^th February 2024

Advert information