Classification, Knowledge, and Power
What is the power/knowledge dynamics in social classifications and how they interact with people they classified?
I am interested in how institutions produce classification regarding people in the broader power dynamic. I am currently working on two connected studies regarding the HIV/AIDS high-risk population "Men who have Sex with Men (MSM)". One study focuses on the historical epistemological changes of the same sex desires/behaviors in the Chinese state discourse since 1949, while the another one examines how gay men perceive the MSM-based public health knowledge and materials regarding them.
Sexuality, Gender, and Power
How is sexuality and gender associated with and influenced by power?
My projects under this theme is highly influenced by Foucault and my primary research site, China, where everything became political at the end of the day. I am interested in how reproductive biopwer and repressive state power contradict and/or contribute to each other in the very issues of sexuality and gender. My ongoing project examines how including of gay community stakeholders in biomedical clinical trials may impact the local power dynamic under the state's increasing control of Chinese civil society. I have published papers regarding gay bar's symbolic role, male nurse's struggle with gender stereotype, and an anti-sex online community's mobilization.
HIV/AIDS in the Social Context
What are the social determinants of the HIV/AIDS risks among gay, bisexual, and other sexual minorities in China?
My sociology background leads me to study the socio-structural factors that might influence sexual minority's HIV related risks, while my personal interests lead me to focus on emerging technologies. I am currently working on two manuscripts, one is regarding the HIV anticipated stigma's associations with HIV testing behaviors, while another is about social outcomes of community engagements in the HIV trial. My latest published study clarified the relationship between migration and HIV risks by comparing differences of HIV-related risky sexual behaviors and healthcare utilization across competing conceptualizations of migratory statues, and highlighted the structural barriers that migrant with rural origins faced in China. I have also worked in various studies on the LGBTQ community engagement, the use of social media for sex-seeking, and disclosure of LGBT and HIV status.
