Ziyu Deng is a DPhil student in Information, Communication and Social Sciences at the Oxford Internet Institute. Her DPhil focuses on the communication mechanisms of online misogyny on the Chinese Internet. Ziyu has a multidisciplinary academic background combining both East Asia studies, sociology and public policy. Her research interests include online political communication in contemporary China, social media content moderation, youth participation on social media and digital divides.
DPhil Topic
Ziyu Deng's DPhil thesis seeks to address online misogyny in contemporary China. By illuminating how it spreads so rapidly across the Chinese Internet in the last decade, and why it appears so convincing to a huge population of Chinese male netizens, and even female ones, from highly diverse socio-economic backgrounds, this thesis could inform policy makers and activists who wish to combat online misogyny effectively and promote gender equality in digital space, as well as informing debates on online contentious politics in authoritarian regimes.
