Mr Qinyu Feng Feng

(he/him)

Research

Research Overview

My research is focused on the intersections of surveillance systems, urban governance, and marginalized communities in China. I explore how digital technologies such as big data, virtual communities, and social credit systems influence governance structures, urban hierarchies, and social behaviors, particularly among marginalized groups like migrant workers. Grounded in Deleuze's control society and Foucault’s disciplinary society frameworks, I aim to understand how surveillance technologies are used as tools for social regulation and exclusion, both in physical and virtual spaces.

My work also investigates the role of China’s household registration system (Hukou) in perpetuating urban-rural divides and inequality. This research is important because it addresses critical questions about digital authoritarianism, social control, and social justice in a rapidly evolving urban and technological landscape.

Current Projects

1. Surveillance and Social Control in Migrant Worker Communities

This project examines how migrant workers in China are subjected to digital surveillance and control, both in their real-world communities and virtual networks. I explore how the Hukou system and digital surveillance technologies contribute to the exclusion and regulation of these workers, using ethnography, netnography, and semi-structured interviews to collect rich, qualitative data on their experiences.

2. Virtual Communities and Urban Inequality

This research investigates how marginalized groups, especially migrant workers, interact within virtual communities, and how these digital spaces mirror and reproduce the inequalities present in the physical world. By studying these virtual interactions, I aim to shed light on how hegemonic cultures and urban elites maintain control through digital means.

3. Comparative Analysis of Global Surveillance Systems

I am also engaged in a comparative analysis of China's centralized surveillance systems and decentralized surveillance models in the West. This project highlights how big data and surveillance technologies are shaping governance and influencing political and social control in different global contexts.

Methodology

I employ a combination of ethnography, netnography, and semi-structured interviews in my research. Ethnographic methods allow for an in-depth understanding of migrant workers’ lived experiences, while netnography provides insights into their interactions in digital spaces. Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders—including migrant workers, policymakers, and digital technology experts—are crucial for gaining a comprehensive view of how these communities are governed both physically and digitally.

Why This Research Matters

In a world where surveillance technology and digital governance are becoming increasingly pervasive, understanding how these systems impact marginalized communities is crucial. My research contributes to the global conversation on urban sustainability, social justice, and digital ethics, with the aim of promoting more equitable and inclusive cities.

Thesis

Controlling societies embodied in migrant (virtual) communities in the Chinese context.

Abstract:

Current research on the manifestations of the control society in Chinese virtual communities is limited, especially regarding marginalised populations such as migrant workers. This thesis explores the manifestations of control society in migrant worker (virtual) communities in a Chinese context. Drawing on Deleuze's concept of control society, the study examines how migrant worker (virtual) communities are subject to social regulation and exclusion through various digital technologies and surveillance systems, and how managers and hierarchies in urban areas use socially specific spatial classifications and gated communities to maintain their hegemonic rule and preserve their interests. By analysing the Chinese government's Hukou system, which establishes territorial boundaries between urban and rural areas, this dissertation demonstrates how social inequality and marginalisation are perpetuated in virtual communities. The study also examines how social relations in virtual spaces reflect those in the 'real' world, and how hegemonic cultures are reproduced in virtual spaces. The analysis is based on a combination of qualitative research methods, including interviews with migrants and the analysis of digital data. The findings shed light on mechanisms of social control and exclusion in migrant worker (virtual) communities in the Chinese context and contribute to our understanding of the broader meaning of social control in contemporary society.

Although China's surveillance systems embody a high degree of technological advancement and social management capacity, there are still significant knowledge gaps in in-depth analyses of their application and impact within the theoretical frameworks of Deleuze, Gattari, and Foucault. Further research is needed on how these surveillance practices affect marginalised groups, especially migrant workers, and their ability to overcome social exclusion through virtual communities. In addition, there is a lack of comparative research between the Chinese model and other surveillance models around the globe, which limits researchers' understanding of trends in digital authoritarianism. Therefore, future research should explore the specific application of Deleuze's concept of the "control society" in China, how Foucault's theories of surveillance and discipline are reflected in China's social credit and surveillance systems, and the impact of these surveillance mechanisms on social dynamics, individual freedoms, and power structures. This research could contribute significantly to understanding the complexity of surveillance in modern societies and the balance between control and freedom.

Biography

CYD Creative Dignity International Education 2019-2022

ASRI International Architecture and Education 2018-2019

China Communications Construction Group, Guangxi Division 2018                        

Honours and awards

Master of Arts of The University of Sheffield in Urban Design on 8 November 2021 with Distinction.

Finalist Award, The 7th Design for China Competition. By China Artists Association Environmental Design Art Committee  (Mar. 2017)

Speaking engagements

RGS-IBG 2024 Presentation

Supervisors

Andrew Williams

Senior Lecturer in Human Geography

Julian Brigstocke

Senior Lecturer in Human Geography