Shitong Sun
he/him
#PORN STUDIES #CULTURAL STUDIES #MEDIA STUDIES
#TRANSNATIONAL/TRANSBORDER EDUCATION
I am an MPhil student in Cultural Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I received my Bachelor of Communication in Media and Communication Studies from the Hong Kong Baptist University (BNU-HKBU UIC) in 2023 and my Master of Arts in Anthropology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2024. Porn studies are my primary research interest. My research tentatively focuses on the consumption of hardcore pornography within the Chinese context. Since joining the Cultural Studies program, I have been attracted by the imaginative scope and theoretical depth of the cultural theories I newly encountered. Influenced by that, I am still in the process of exploring my specific research focus and the theories I aim to engage in dialogue with.
Relevant Experience
Selected Conference Papers/Presentations
- July 2024 (With Runze Ding) “Ambiguous Transnational Porn Consumption: Chinese Young Men Watching Japanese Adult Videos.” Part of the Panel Presentation Entitled “Mapping Inter-Asian Sexual Cultures: Eunuchs, Pornographers, Adult Content Consumers, and Boyband Fans,” International Convention of Asian Scholars (ICAS). Surabaya, Indonesia.
- June 2024 “Watching Japanese Adult Video in China: Reconcilement, Detachment, and Gender Representation.” Paper presented at the International Communication Association (ICA). Gold Coast, Australia. (Awarded a Michael Haley Travel Grant)
- June 2024 (With Taoyue Wang) “Mediatized Sexual Practices: An Examination of Reshaped Intimacy in S-ASMR Videos.” Paper presented at the International Communication Association (ICA). Gold Coast, Australia.
- March 2024 “Boundaries for Pornography: Ambiguity, Demarcation, and Enjoyment.” Paper presented at the 15th Annual CUHK Anthropology Postgraduate Student Forum. Hong Kong.
Interest in Digital Care
I am particularly interested in the potentialities of digital technologies to mediate the affective and even erotic connections between individuals. For example, I focus on how the ASMR genre—a media form that centers on auditory experiences, or at least places equal emphasis on both auditory and visual stimuli—makes it possible to produce non-visual dominated intimacy through digital mediation. Additionally, I am also interested in the affective labor present in sexually explicit materials and the production of care and intimacy by their creators. Echoing the pillars of the Digital Narrative Studio, I hope to harness the power of narrative to envision, imagine, and create a more resilient future for all and by all.