Runze Ding

Profile

I gained a Master’s degree (with distinction) in Communications Studies from the School of Media and Communication in 2014 and I am a third year PhD researcher in the School of Media and Communication. My PhD studies are on digital media and sexual identities in China. My supervisors are Dr Helen Thornham and Dr Lee Edwards (LSE).

I have completed nine months ethnographic fieldwork for the project which looks at gay identity and digital media in China. I worked for a local gay organisation in Guangzhou for five months and spent four months in Beijing where I attended various activities and events engaging with different LGBT organisations and individuals.

I have a Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from China.  

Research interests

• Identity and digital media
• Digital cultures
• Digital media in everyday life
• Ethnography for the Internet
• Audience studies
• Media representation

My general research interest concerns the role of (digital) media in everyday life, with particular focus on the relationship between digital media and the construction/formation of a certain identity. I am seeking to identify any ways in which these factors might influence the experiences of sexual minorities.

Qualifications

• MA (with Distinction) in Communications Studies
• BA in Broadcast Journalism
• BEng in Clothing Design and Engineering