Tracy Kennedy

Current

• Research Coordinator at NetLab
• Social Researcher at Netwomen
• Lecturer at Brock University

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Past

• Social Researcher at Virtual Worlds Environment Project
• Social Researcher at Intel
• Social Researcher at PEW Internet & American Life

• Virtual Researcher at Great Northern Way Campus
• Social Researcher at Microsoft

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2 more...

Education

• University of Toronto
• York University
• Brock University

• Brock University

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1 more...

Connections

32 connections

Industry

Research

Tracy Kennedy’s Summary

Selected Publications:

Kennedy, Tracy, Smith, A., Wells, A. T. & B. Wellman. (2008). “Networked Families”. Pew Internet & American Life Project Report, October 19, 2008.

Kennedy, Tracy & B. Wellman (2007). “Networked Households” in Information, Communication and Society, Vol 10 (5), pp 644-669.

Kennedy, Tracy (2007). “The Personal is Political: Feminist Blogging and Virtual Consciousness-Raising” in The Scholar & Feminist Online Journal, (eds) Gwendolyn Beetham & Jessica Valenti, Vol 5 (2).

Kennedy, Tracy (2007). “Working @ Home: Negotiating Space & Place” in ICTs and Emerging Business Practices, (eds) Yuichi Washida & Shenja van der Graaf. Idea Publishing, pp 257-279.

Viseu, A., Clement, A., Aspinal J. and Tracy Kennedy (2006). "The Interplay of Public and Private Spaces in Internet Access", in Information, Communication & Society, Vol 9 (5), pp. 633-656.

Kennedy, Tracy (2006). “Gender and the Household Internet” in the Gender and Information Technology Encyclopedia, (ed) Eileen M. Trauth. Information Science Publishing.

Wellman, B. & B. Hogan with J. Boase, K. Berg, J. Carrasco, J. Kayahara, and T. Kennedy (2006). “Connected Lives: The Project” in Networked Neighbourhoods: The Connected Community in Context, (ed) Patrick Purcell. Berlin: Springer, pp 161-216.

Clement, A., Viseu, A., Aspinal, J. & Tracy Kennedy (2004). "Public Access, Personal Privacy And Media Interweaving In Everyday Internet Experiences: Exploring Current Policy Concerns Via A 'Neighbourhood Ethnography'" in (eds) Leslie Shade & Marita Moll, Seeking Convergence in Policy and Practice. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: Ottawa, pp 245-282.

Kennedy, Tracy, B. Wellman & K. Klement (2003). "Gendering the Digital Divide" in IT & Society, Vol 1 (5) Summer 2003, pp 149-172.

Kennedy, Tracy (2000). "An Exploratory Study of Feminist Experiences in Cyberspace" in Cyber Psychology and Behaviour, Vol 3 (5), pp 707-719.

Tracy Kennedy’s Specialties:

Defining and refining research objectives, designing interview guides & surveys (face-to-face, telephone and online),conducting literature searches, analyzing and evaluating research and interpreting data, making sure that key issues are identified,carrying out or directing field work to gather information,offering research-based briefings and advice

Tracy Kennedy’s Experience

• Research Coordinator

  NetLab

  (Research industry)

  January 2002 — Present (7 years 11 months)

  Projects include “Connected Lives” (Toronto) and “Connected Lives North" (Chapleau Ontario), analyzing the interplay of communication, social capital, relationships and community involvement on and off the Internet, with a focus on household internet use and integration.

• Social Researcher

  Netwomen

  (Research industry)

  January 2001 — Present (8 years 11 months)

  I research how people use the internet – from websites, email and blogging to games, gaming and virtual worlds. As a Social Researcher, I design, formulate and conduct social research projects in physical and virtual worlds. I collect, manage and analyze information and use a variety of methods, such as interviews, ethnography, surveys and focus groups, to investigate the social and cultural issues that surface as new technologies become more pervasive.

• Lecturer

  Brock University

  (Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Higher Education industry)

  January 2001 — Present (8 years 11 months)

  Tracy teaches in the Communication, Popular culture & Film Department on areas including: Internet, Cyberculture, Gaming & Virtual Worlds, Technology, ICTS, Web 2.0, Web 3D, Media, Mass Culture. Recent courses taught include: 'The Information Society', ‘Cultural Studies of Virtual Worlds’, ‘Digital Cultures - Video Games, Gamers & Virtual Worlds’, 'Technology & Culture'.

• Social Researcher

  Virtual Worlds Environment Project

  (Research industry)

  October 2007 — January 2009 (1 year 4 months)

  The Virtual Worlds Environment Project explores the socio-cultural world of MMORPG EverQuest 2. I investigate the experiences of role-players in the EverQuest 2; Virtual Ethnography, in-world interviews and survey data collected from Sony Online Entertainment are used to understand the play patterns of role players, their offline motivations and the social interactions between players.

• Social Researcher

  Intel

  (Public Company; INTC; Semiconductors industry)

  August 2008 — November 2008 (4 months)

  Working with the Everyday Sensing & Perceiving Team, this research investigates how people perceive and practice privacy of personal information and data, and focuses on the implications of location based applications and sensors.

• Social Researcher

  PEW Internet & American Life

  (Non-Profit; Internet industry)

  November 2007 — May 2008 (7 months)

  This project investigated the prevalence of ICTs in American households and examines how household members use ICTs communicate, organize daily routines and schedules, and spend time together. Report released October 19, 2008: Networked Families.

• Virtual Researcher

  Great Northern Way Campus

  (Higher Education industry)

  October 2006 — October 2007 (1 year 1 month)

  Working with the Master’s of Digital Media Program, we constructed a Virtual Centre for Digital Media in the virtual metaverse of Second Life. We hosted an open house in conjunction with the ‘real’ opening of the GNWC in British Columbia, and have held several brainstorming sessions to investigate interactive and empowering pedagogical styles of learning and knowledge construction inside and outside the classroom.

• Social Researcher

  Microsoft

  (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry)

  June 2007 — August 2007 (3 months)

  This research included two projects: First, I examined virtual social networks in women’s online gaming communities; how networks are created and maintained, what people gain from their virtual networks and what the connection is to their lives offline. Second, I explored gaming households, conducting interviews with families who play video games together and explored family dynamics and the experiences of 'mom gamers'.

Tracy Kennedy’s Education

• University of Toronto

  Doctorate of Philosophy , Sociology , 2001 — 2010 (expected)

  Dissertation Title - "Networked Households - Domesticating the Internet". Supervisor - Barry Wellman

• York University

  Master of Arts , Sociology , 2000 — 2001

  Master's Research Paper -"Investigating the Emerging Cyber-Crossroads: the Intersection between Physical and Virtual Community". Supervisor - Nancy Mandell

• Brock University

  Bachelor of Arts Honours , Sociology , 1997 — 2000

  Thesis Title - "Women and the Internet: An Exploratory Study of Feminist Experiences in Cyberspace". Supervisor – Ann Duffy

• Brock University

  Bachelor of Arts , Sociology and Classics , 1988 — 1997

Additional Information

Tracy Kennedy’s Interests:

Cyber/Digital/Virtual Culture, Mass Culture, Gaming & Virtual Worlds, Technology, ICTs, Web 2.0, Web 3D, Gender, Families & Households, Social Media, Qualitative Research Methods

Tracy Kennedy’s Groups:

•    Professional Second Lifers
•    VirtualWorlds

Tracy Kennedy’s Honors:

2004-2005: University of Toronto – KMDI Graduate Fellowship Award
2004-2005: University of Toronto Open Fellowship
2003-2004: University of Toronto Open Fellowship
2003: ASA - Communication and Information Technology section - Graduate Student Paper Award
2002-2003: University of Toronto Open Fellowship
2001-2002: Ontario Graduate Scholarship
2001: Brock University Rosalind Blauer Award
2000: Brock University Jean Luck Memorial Bursary
2000: Brock University P.A. Sorokin Book Prize in Sociology
1996: Chatelaine Digital Woman of the Year

Tracy Kennedy’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• consulting offers
• new ventures
• expertise requests
• reference requests
• getting back in touch