Dayton Joseph LEKNER

Dayton Joseph LEKNER is a Researcher in the Department of Asian and North African Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. His work focuses on the social and cultural history of 20th-century China, particularly the Mao era, with an emphasis on literature, ideology, and sound. He teaches courses on the history and society of contemporary China at the master's level.

LEKNER’s research interests span the History of East and Southeast Asia, Social and Cultural History of China, Mao Era Studies, Sound and Sensory History, and Political Ideology and Literature. His interdisciplinary approach bridges history, cultural studies, and media theory, exploring how texts and sounds shaped political subjectivity in Cold War China.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward sensory and auditory dimensions of state formation and political struggle, particularly in the context of Maoist China and cross-strait relations. He examines how voice, silence, noise, and textual circulation functioned as tools of ideology and resistance. His forthcoming book, One Hundred Flowers: How Literature Shaped Maoism, further cements his contribution to understanding the creative interplay between politics and culture.

LEKNER is also the editor of the online journal and website Revisiting the Revolution, contributing to public and academic discourse on revolutionary China. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, translations, and reviews, demonstrating sustained scholarly engagement.

He has taught in multiple master's programs, including Cultural Anthropology, Ethnology, Ethnolinguistics, and Language and Management to China, offering courses such as History of Contemporary China and Contemporary Chinese Society. While no formal advisees are listed, his academic mentorship is evident through editorial and collaborative work.