Shutong Han
PhD Linguistics & English Language
- Linguistics and English Language
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences
Contact details
- Email: s2048260@sms.ed.ac.uk
- Web: shutonghan_website
Address
- Street
-
Dugald Stewart Building
- City
- 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9AD
Background
I am a second-year PhD student in Sociolinguistics under the supervision of Dr. Christian Ilbury and Dr. Sumin Zhao. My research explores the intersection of language, gender, sexuality, and the dynamics of language use on social media. I am particularly focused on how individuals with non-normative gender and sexual identities in China construct their identities in both online and offline contexts. My approach combines qualitative methods with blended (online and digital) ethnography to analyse language patterns and social interactions.
CV
150351.pdf
Qualifications
PhD in LEL, University of Edinburgh (2023-present)
MSc in Applied Linguistics, University of Edinburgh (2021-2022)
Undergraduate teaching
Tutor: Sociolinguistics. Discourse Analysis.
Research summary
- Language, gender, and sexuality
- Language and social media
- Queer theories
- Intersectionality
Project activity
PhD Project: “Stylisation and Identity Construction: The Use of Sajiao among Chinese Gay Men”
Currently working on with Ashley Xing: “Affective Digital Feminism in China: The Recontextualization of the Chinese ‘Female Script’ Nvshu on RED”
Invited speaker
"A Beijing Flavoured Sassy Queen: Stylisation and Queer Identity Construction". (March, 2025). University of Glasgow Sociophonetics Lab Lunch. University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Organiser
Queer Identities in Contemporary China (QICC) (April, 2025-Forthcoming) University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Link: https://qicc5.wordpress.com/
Papers delivered
Panel: Structuring Queerness, Queering Structures: Social Media and LGBTQ+ Identities. “Negotiating Chinese Gay Normativity on Douyin: Stylised Performances of sajiao among Chinese Gay Influencers”. (May, 2025–Forthcoming). Approaches to Digital Discourse Analysis 5. Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
“Who is the Sajiao person? Performances of Sajiao among Chinese Gay Influencers on Douyin”. (August, 2024). Lavender 30 Language and Linguistics. University of Brighton, England.
“Researching Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary China”. (June, 2024). British Association of Applied Linguistics Language, Gender and Sexuality Special Interest Group. Online seminar.