Zihuan (Sebastian) Zhang

School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations

PhD student

Zihuan Zhang
Profile picture of Zihuan Zhang
zzhang197@sheffield.ac.uk

Full contact details

Zihuan (Sebastian) Zhang
School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
Profile

Sebastian joined the Department of Sociological Studies as an MA Sociology student, after he graduated from the University of Lincoln with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Sociology in autumn 2019. After completing the MA Sociology in summer 2020, Sebastian decided to stay at the department for his PhD research.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ interests

Thesis title: Racism in China: a qualitative study on Shanghai-based foreign English language teachers.

This PhD project investigates Black racial experiences in China by conducting a qualitative study in the foreign English teachers community in Shanghai. The research will synthesise several theoretical and conceptual frameworks, such as Critical Race Theory, Post-colonialism, Everyday Racism and Decolonial Social Theory to explore the lives of Black English teachers, investigating how racism manifests itself in social relations and interactions on a daily basis in contemporary China.

Also, the project will be examining English language education as a colonial instrument in forging transnational forms of racism as a colonial legacy existing in contemporary Chinese society.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ interests:

  • Decolonial Social Theory;
  • Post-colonialism;
  • Sociology of Race and Racism;
  • Contemporary China Studies;
  • Critical Race Theory;
  • Qualitative Methods.
Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ group

Supervisors:

Teaching activities

Sebastian currently teaches on the following modules:

  • Sociological Imaginations seminars;
  • The Value of Sociology seminars.