Bo Ærenlund Sørensen

• Presentation
• Research outputs
• Prizes
• Activities

I study the modern history, culture, and society of the Chinese-speaking world. I have a background in history and comparative literature, and I draw heavily on cultural analysis, historical source criticism, literary theory, media studies, and micro-history. I work primarily with literary fiction, media content, various forms of archival material, and oral history. In recent years I’ve increasingly integrated digital methods into my work to further the fruitful cross-pollination of micro and macro perspectives at various issues.

Though my work focus primarily on Chinese culture and media, I have a broad interest in global history and in how money, media and digitalization transform our worlds. This has brought me to write about nationalism in Turkey, economic reforms in China, and the Danish media’s representation of social entreprenur Claus Meyer. I am also interested in how people construct and make sense of their worlds. In recent years, I have increasingly pursued these interests with a focus on memory studies, emotional history, sensory history, and cognitive studies. 

I have two BAs (in History and Comparative Literature), and an MA (in History) from the University of Copenhagen, and my PhD from the University of Oxford (in Oriental Studies). I have also spent semesters at Peking University, Taiwan National University, and Singapore National University. 

I have mentored students with special needs for a number of years.

Teaching

I teach and supervise in the field of contemporary Chinese culture and society with a special focus on literature, cultural analysis, historical method, and the use and ramifications of digital tools.

Primary fields of research

I am working on a number of articles where I draw on cognitive literary studies, memory studies, and emotional history to understand my favorite contemporary    Chinese-language authors and filmmakers. I am also working on a number of joint research projects employing digital methods to investigate Chinese media and society.