Event Details
In East Asian cultures, "family" is often seen as the central structure of life. But must a family always follow a singular blueprint? And, has this idea of a “only correct” family model limited the possibilities of how we live?
In times of shifting gender norms, increasing mobility, and expanding forms of intimacy, new kinds of family structures may already be quietly emerging.
This seminar invites participants to reflect on the question: “If we could reimagine or reinvent what ‘family’ means, what could it look like?” Through open conversation and collective discussion, we will explore both personal experiences and future possibilities—redefining what “home” and “family” might mean in the world of 2046.
All are welcome to join with your stories, imaginations, and hopes for more inclusive futures.
Programme
Discussion Leads: Haoyue Tan and Mengyun He
Haoyue Tan is a PhD student in Sociology at the Social Research Institute, University College London (UCL). His current research focuses on the continuities and changes in the culture and conduct of fatherhood among urban middle-class men in contemporary China. His broader academic interests include family sociology, intimacy, gender studies, and qualitative research methods.
Mengyun He is a PhD researcher in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and formerly an episode director of the documentary series Life Matters (Ren Jian Shi). Her doctoral research explores the socio-cultural mechanisms behind mediated intimacy and the traffic-driven digital economy. Using ethnographic methods, she observes and documents how grassroots youth navigate, struggle, and strategise within the volatile world of digital “traffic hustling.”