David Kwok Kwan Tsoi

Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Geography and the Environment
Supervisor: Professor Anna Lora-Wainwright

Choreography of Value in Transnational Housing Market: From Hong Kong to the UK

Academic Profile

David’s research lies at the intersection between economy, value, and migration. His current project focuses on the relationship between housing market, moral values, and spatial-social interactions in the context of the post-2019 migration wave from Hong Kong to the UK. He is interested in how the transnational flow of capital in housing restructures class/ inequalities, and how, in turn, individuals grapple with different economic, social, political, and ethical concerns within the housing market to pursue a good life. His DPhil research is fully funded by Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarship.

David’s previous works examine the overlap between the intimate life and the market. With a focus on middle-class queer sex work, he investigated the ethical system, gender dynamics, and respectability politics in a gentrified sexual economy. His publications and public writings are seen on Men and Masculinities, Sexualities, and FOCAAL Blog. He also writes about collective memories, alternative politics, and affective experience of political transformation. He has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Hong Kong, Peru, and Korea. He will be serving as the Student Councilor at the Society for East Asian Anthropology (2025–).

Education

M.A. in Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
M.Phil. in Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
B.A. in Anthropology (First Class Honours), The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Awards and Fundings (Selected)

2024–2027 Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarship
2024 Teachers Ranked as Excellent, Cntr. for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, UIUC
2024 Nancy Abelmann Scholarship (Research Grant), Dept. of Anthropology, UIUC
2024 Dissertation Research Grant, Cntr. for East Asian & Pacific Studies, UIUC
2024 Internship & Professional Development Award, Point Foundation
2023 Best Graduate Paper, Southwest Conference, Association for Asian Studies
2023 Tinker Foundation Fellowship, Cntr. for Lat. Am. and Caribbean Studies, UIUC
2023 Global Intersections Grant, Cntr. for Global Studies, UIUC
2022–2023 BIPOC Scholar, Point Foundation (x3)