Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine
King's College London

PhD title: The Politics of the Body: Rural-Urban Migrant Women in China’s Reform Era

 

My research is situated at the intersection of medical humanities and socioeconomic studies, 
investigating the experiences of rural migrant women during China’s economic reform era. 
Conceiving the body as a text, the study reveals traces of forces and operational mechanisms of 
power. It acknowledges macro-level factors such as national development, familial processes, 
migration policies, healthcare, and welfare systems, shaping the life dynamics of rural migrant 
females. Concurrently at a micro-level, employing an oral history approach, the research investigates 
participants' memories, encompassing topics ranging from the commodification of female sexuality 
and labour to marital choices, reproductive behaviour and rights, illness, ageing, and body image. In 
challenging the "oppression-liberation" paradigm, I seek to emancipate women from simplistic 
victimisation narratives in Chinese historiography, revealing their tactical strategies, agency, and 
intrinsic qualities of resilience in rapid social and economic development.

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1st Supervisor: Dr. Caitjan Gainty

2nd Supervisor: Dr. Konstatinos Tsimonis

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Bio:

I began my undergraduate studies in History at the University of Warwick in 2018 and completed my 
postgraduate training in History at the University College London in 2022. During this period, I was 
introduced to medical humanities and social anthropology, which shaped my interdisciplinary 
approach. My MA dissertation, exploring the commodification of the female body and sexuality in 
China's modern history, serves as the foundation for my PhD research.
As a historian of STM, my research interests have focused on the body, gender, public policy, social 
mobility, and economic development. Also affiliated with the Lau China Institute, my research 
applies a Western medical and health humanities approach to analysing China's society and 
conceptions of the state, community, and individual.

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Conference Papers:

'Actor, Agency, and Biopower: A Medical History Perspective in Chinese Society' - Presented at the 
Humanities, Technology, and Governance in Chinese Modernization Forum, hosted by Beihang 
University in Beijing, December 2023.
'Women in Rural-Urban Migration: An Oral History Approach' - Presented at the ChiNESS (China in 
Social Sciences) Conference, held at the University of Sheffield in June 2023.

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Other Professional Affiliations and Activities:

Lau China Institute

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