Iris Zhang
M.A. in Media Arts & Sciences
Contact Information
Research and Creative Interests
- Gender and Media
- digital cultures
- fandom
- pornography and sexuality
- Science and Technology Studies
- Mediated Intimacy
- Human–AI Relationships
Biography
My research focuses on how contemporary media and technologies shape intimacy, desire, and emotional experience. My current project examines human–AI relationships through the lens of maintenance and repair. I am also researching women-centered fan communities around otome games, with a focus on fan fiction writing as a site where gendered desires and alternative imaginaries of intimacy are articulated. My work draws on cultural studies, gender studies, science and technology studies, and critical media theory.