Haiyun （Helena ）Zhao

Helena has spent the last five years conducting a longitudinal ethnographic investigation of a group of parents with missing children (abducted or kidnapped) in Mainland China. Her DPhil examines the evolution of the victim's movement among these parents over the past two decades, focusing on the changing tactics they use to locate their missing children amidst the rapidly transforming landscape of social media and technology. This includes the rise of Douyin (Chinese TikTok), the spread of live streaming to rural regions, and the state’s utilization of advanced technologies such as facial recognition, ancestral analysis, and DNA banking. Additionally, the research explores how these technological changes intersect with evolving government policies and state responses.