Biography

Kunyang Wang is a PhD candidate in the 21st Century Democracy program at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra. She holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Leeds, UK, with her master's thesis entitled "Gender Performances under Chinese Cultural Regulation: A Case Study of the Observational Reality Dating Show Relationships". The thesis explores female gender performances in China's observational reality dating show Relationships Season 6, and its findings reveal that the interplay of face culture, filial piety and the ideology of family lineage shapes women's emotional expressions and self-presentation, while simultaneously reinforcing patriarchal norms and fostering forms of micro-level resistance. She is a recipient of the University of Leeds International Excellence Scholarship. Her current research interests integrate social media, the digital public sphere and public opinion with the study of democracy, undertaking interdisciplinary academic inquiry at their intersection.