Ruiyang Han

Profile

I am a PhD candidate in sociology and gender studies at the University of Leeds. I completed my undergraduate studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, majoring in International Relations, alongside a BA in International Governance and Public Policy from Keele University. I then obtained my MSc in Social Inequalities and Research Methods from the University of Warwick with Distinction. My Master’s dissertation, Beyond Heteronormativity: Intimate Lives of Urban Queer Women in China, examined how heteronormative expectations intersect with the emotional and cultural lives of young queer women, focusing on the negotiations and resistances embedded in their intimate experiences.

Research interests

My research focuses on the intersection of gender, sexuality, and cultural transformation in contemporary China. I am particularly interested in how gender norms and queer identities are shaped through everyday life, emotional experience, and popular media. I use creative and participatory methodologies to explore non-normative sexual and gender epistemologies. My broader academic interests include popular culture studies, feminist theory, social change, and cross-cultural comparative studies.

Qualifications

• BA International Relations, Beijing Foreign Studies University, China
• BA International Governance and Public Policy, Keele University, UK
• MSc Social Inequalities and Research Methods (Distinction), University of Warwick, UK