Yu Shi

Biography

Yu’s current research centers on the social and cultural history of late imperial and modern China, with a particular focus on the global media industry, folk performance, urban society, and gender studies. Adopting a bottom-up perspective, her dissertation seeks to explore the survival strategies and cultural practices of grassroots performers, especially their interplays with the bourgeoning global entertainment capitalism, which aims to offer insights into an underrepresented narrative of China’s modernization during the early 20^th century. Yu’s work involves unearthing media sources, particularly gramophone recordings that often have been overlooked in conventional historical studies. Beyond the history of popular culture(s), she is also interested in the everyday life experiences of lowbrow women in late imperial China, and the social history of technology and material culture.

Advanced to Candidacy