Zhuoyu Chen

Profile

I am a PhD student in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds. I previously completed a Master’s degree in Society, Culture and Media at Leeds (First Class Honours), and hold a Bachelor’s degree in International Communications Studies from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, with a minor in French. I also studied as an exchange student at University College Dublin, where I undertook coursework in research methods, gender studies, and social policy.

My research adopts an international and cross-cultural perspective to examine singlehood, gender, and intimate life in contemporary China, with particular attention to how global feminist discourses, digital cultures, and local socio-cultural norms intersect. I am especially interested in singlehood as a form of social identity and cultural practice, and in the ways social media platforms facilitate transnational exchanges around intimacy, gender politics, and alternative life trajectories.

Methodologically, I work with qualitative and quantitative methods, including digital ethnography, discourse analysis, and in-depth interviews, drawing on my training across different higher education systems in the UK, Ireland, and China. My broader academic interests include gender inequality, cultural sociology, media and communication studies, and feminist theory in global contexts.

Before commencing my doctoral studies, I gained professional experience in media planning, digital marketing, and research analysis within international organisations, and have been actively involved in gender equality education and community engagement. I am fluent in Mandarin and English, with working proficiency in French, and am interested in how multilingual and transnational experiences shape cultural research practices.

Research interests

• Digital (Sub)Culture

• Gender Studies

• (Post)feminism

• Intimacies and Relationship

• Youth Studies

• Social media studies

Qualifications

• 2019-2023 BA International Communication Studies (with French) University of Nottingham, Ningbo, Chi
• 2023-2024 MA Society Culture Media University of Leeds
• 2024-Now PhD in Sociology University of Leeds

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies