Yulyne Li

Profile

I am primarily engaged in the areas of social theory, the history of social thought, philosophy and phenomenological sociology that influenced and inspired by the Continental philosophy tradition (especially in 20th century), by sociological thought rooted in and seeking to move beyond the agent-structure dualism, by Husserl-centred phenomenological approaches, and by contemporary critical theory. I completed BA at Renmin University of China in 2022, with a thesis focused on symbolic domination and violence within the discourse-power system of the modern Japanese nation-state. I completed the MSc at University of Bristol in 2023, explored a theoretical dialogue and hermeneutic synthesis between Pierre Bourdieu and ethnomethodology in the field of language and daily use. Starting in 2024, the ongoing doctoral project is a phenomenological reconstruction of the theory of sociology of emotions (I call it TSoE) grounded in Husserlian frameworks.

Research interests

Since 2022, I have been exploring the potential dialogues between Husserlian phenomenology and contemporary sociological theory, which has evolved into my current project. It primarily investigates whether and how a phenomenological framework that was rarely considered by sociological scholars can be used to supplement and even challenge existing narrative patterns in the historical trajectory of TSoE. I will employ Husserlian terms to describe a profound emotion-affect landscape, which can be unfolded from life impulses, to internal time consciousness, to intentionality, to embodiment-horizon, and finally to lebenswelt (lifeworld). This is not merely an excursion into the history of thoughts, also reveals the unique role of emotions in contemporary social life, repositioning the emotional interactions between actors and social structures. This aligns with contemporary theory orientations, emphasising the uniqueness of individual value, emotional independence, and the criticism of modern multiple identities.

I am also working on another history of social thought project that aims to uncover insights that are often forgotten or neglected in traditional narratives, yet which still make contributions to current theoretical research and deserve to be included in the social science education system. For example, I am currently focusing on Augustine and Ibn Khaldun, and may further develop Nietzsche and Bergson.

In addition, I work as an academic translator. I translate key chapters of important works or influential journal articles from English into Chinese, in an attempt to introduce more theoretical frontiers to the Chinese academic community and stimulate potential researchers' interest in these fields.

Qualifications

• BA World History and History of Thought
• MSc Social Science and Research Method