Chalisa Chintrakarn

Postfeminism and The Knife: Cosmetic Surgery Accounts of Young Thai Women

Chalisa

Chalisa’s PhD project investigates cosmetic surgery accounts of young Thai women, using feminist theory as the theoretical framework. She carried out an online fieldwork and performed a thematic analysis to examine the empirical data. The project has discovered many postfeminist materialisations, alongside multiple Asian influences. This study shall prove significant for further decolonising feminist scholarship, as Thai beauty culture has been underresearched in the field of gender in the West.  

Supervisors: Dr Kelly Hall and Dr Julie Whiteman

Biography

Chalisa grew up in Bangkok, Thailand where she was stunned by stark social inequalities. Whilst in Japan, she was inspired by her culturally diverse communities to delve into various sociocultural phenomena. These life experiences sparked her interest in exploring social inequalities across the globe. Chalisa therefore undertook multiple roles related to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the University of Birmingham, having called for more inclusivity and equity across a range of social characteristics. During her University-level EDI Student Ambassador role, Chalisa liaised with Birmingham City Council, University of Amsterdam, and UoB Library Services. She has also incorporated EDI values into her pedagogy.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Social Science (Japan). First Class Honours, with Outstanding Bachelor Thesis Award
  • Master of Arts (King’s College London). Distinction
  • Associate Fellow (Higher Education Academy, UK)

Professional memberships

  • British Sociological Association (BSA)

Research interests

  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Body Image
  • (Post)feminism
  • Neoliberalism
  • Media and Communication
  • Intersectionality
  • Asia Pacific Studies
  • Qualitative Research Methods

Teaching Responsibilities

Present

  • Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, UG Social Policy Year 1 - Social Problems and Social Policy module (Part 1), University of Birmingham.

Former

  • Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, Research Development Programme for the West Midlands Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (WM ADASS).
  • Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, Research Skills Team, Library Services, University of Birmingham.
  • Teaching Assistant, College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.
  • Teaching Assistant, Center of English Language Education, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

Publications

Blog Post

Arianto, B., Chintrakarn, C., and Kania, R. (2021) ‘Ethnicity and inequality in Southeast Asia’, Social Policy Association (SPA), 8 November. (Accessed: 25 September 2023).

Chintrakarn, C. (2021) ‘Vulnerability of ethnically East/Southeast Asians’, Social Policy Matters, 11 May. (Accessed: 25 September 2023).

 

Contact Details