Melody Huslage: Exploration of sugar dating on college campuses

Title

Exploration of sugar dating on college campuses

Mentor

Melody Huslage, Ph.D., MSSW

Department

Social Work

Biosketch

Melody Huslage, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work. She is a critical feminist scholar who seeks to be a change agent for social justice through her teaching and research. In her research, she seeks to increase our understanding of oppressive structures and to challenge them through intervention work. She has a particular interest in power-based violence, including sexual assault and human trafficking. With a strong interest in community-based research, she seeks to work with local and statewide community organizations to tackle the problems that are facing the state of Nevada.

Project overview

Sugar dating is based on the exchange of goods, money, and other incentives in exchange for a dating-like relationship, intimate images and/or sexual intercourse. Huslage is interested in better understanding recruitment methods, potential power imbalances, and experiences of sugar dating among college students. The project will involve finding, reading, and summarizing relevant research literature; devising qualitative interview questions; and quantitative survey questions. The Pack Research Experience Program (PREP) student will work with Huslage to launch and recruit participants for the survey asking University of Nevada, Reno students about their experiences with sugar dating.

Student Training Opportunities

• Survey design
• Literature review
• Recruitment and data collection

Required Qualifications

Not applicable.

Maximum hours per week

The PREP student will be expected to work on the project for a maximum of 10 hours per week.

Pack Research Experience Program information and application