Annual Report 2020 Table of Contents Director’s Welcome 2 Center Mission and Overview 3 People 4 Center Visitors 4 Research Staff 5 Faculty Associates 6 Advisory Council 8 Executive Committee 11 Research Initiatives 12 Program on Chinese Economy and Society 13 Princeton Research Network on Contemporary China 14 Peking-Princeton Postdoctoral Research Program 15 Joint Initiative with the Princeton Environmental Institute 15 Research Projects 16 Affiliated Princeton Faculty and Graduate Students 16 Postdoctoral Research Associates 17 Visiting Scholars and Graduate Students 20 Publications 22 PRCC Working Paper Series 22 Chinese Journal of Sociology 23 Princeton Studies in Contemporary China 25 Individual Publications 26 Faculty and Student Grants 28 Faculty Funded Research 29 Graduate Student Research 30 Senior Thesis Funding 34 Undergraduate Group Projects 36 Courses 38 Summer Study Abroad and Internships 41 Events 42 Director’s Welcome This is the third annual report country-specific shocks in the many aspects of contemporary on the activities of the Paul international trade system; China. We are pleased to and Marcia Wythes Center on assessing the impact of societal announce an inaugural award: the Contemporary China. This report transformations in contemporary Jennifer Wythes Vettel ’86 Senior is very different than previous China on individuals' life chances; Thesis Honor Award was given out years’ reports because of the and studying bureaucracy, to Eliot Chen for his senior thesis COVID-19 pandemic, which corruption, and the state- entitled “Tell China’s Story Well: has led to the cancellation of business relations in authoritarian Media Manipulation and Trust several key events. Nevertheless, regimes, with an emphasis on in Xi’s China.” This year, we had we have had a very productive China. We congratulate our planned on announcing the new year with regard to research on departing postdoctoral fellows annual Debra Yu ’86 Meritorious contemporary China. In the pages Cheng Cheng, Fengming Lu, Honor Award going to one student ahead, we will highlight our many and Donghui Wang, who will all studying abroad, but we will activities, faculty work and awards, begin new appointments Fall postpone the award’s inauguration achievements by our postdoctoral 2020. Cheng will start as an to a later time when our study research associates and visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology abroad activities recommence. scholars, and programming at the School of Social Sciences involving our undergraduate at Singapore Management I hope you enjoy learning students. University. Fengming will join about the activities of the Paul the Department of Political and and Marcia Wythes Center on Unfortunately, we have had to Social Change at the Australian Contemporary China. Please be in cancel the annual Global Seminar National University as a Lecturer touch if you have any suggestions study abroad program as well as with continuing appointment or comments. the Princeton-Tsinghua internship (equivalent to Assistant Professor program. Barring any unforeseen in the US). Donghui will be an assistant professor of demography circumstances, we expect to Sincerely, bring these activities back in at Renmin University. Please see Summer 2021. the biographies of our staff and current and past visitors in this We continue the training of junior Annual Report. scholars and students, both domestic and foreign. This fall, Finally, because of the great we will welcome five postdoctoral generosity of our donors, we have Yu Xie, Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 fellows: Huancheng Du, Qian He, been able to give out grants to University Professor of Sociology Jacob Thomas, Feng Yang, and faculty and undergraduate and and PIIRS Ziye Zhang. They are working graduate students so that they can Director, Paul and Marcia Wythes on research projects concerning conduct important research on the Center on Contemporary China 2 Center Mission and Overview Major social changes occurring at a very rapid pace have provided Since 1978, China has and technological advances. The been undergoing a social emphasis is on understanding a historic opportunity for transformation, the scope, social phenomena in China within rapidity and impact of which are their historical, cultural, political, researchers in the social sciences unprecedented in human history; and economic contexts. Such all aspects of Chinese society study will encourage a better to document those changes now are changing fundamentally and understanding not only of China, forever. Major social changes but also of other societies, taking place in China. occurring at a very rapid including both developing and pace have provided a historic developed countries. opportunity for researchers in the social sciences to document Recognizing the importance of those changes now taking place China’s place in the world, the studies, and the sociology of Princeton faculty after 26 years at in China. Given China’s history Center’s main goal is to bring science. His recently published the University of Michigan. and current place in the world, the together and welcome those works include: Marriage and study of contemporary China has whose work focuses on issues Cohabitation (University of The Center’s activities include a never been more important. that affect China today. The Chicago Press 2007) with lecture series, graduate student intent of the Center is to provide Arland Thornton and William workshops, several research The mission of the Center an institutional home for such Axinn, Statistical Methods initiatives, peer-reviewed journals is to advance the study of interdisciplinary collaboration for Categorical Data Analysis and book series, faculty and contemporary China at Princeton among faculty and students (Emerald 2008, second edition) student grants, a summer University and to provide whose research and work with Daniel Powers, and Is internship program, and a PIIRS substantive analysis from social converge. American Science in Decline? Global Seminar in China. Our science perspectives of the (Harvard University Press, 2012) faculty and students are drawn dramatic sociological shifts taking The Center is directed by Yu with Alexandra Killewald. He from the Department of Sociology, place in China today. Some of Xie, the Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 is a member of the American East Asian Studies, Economics, the most prominent examples University Professor of Sociology Academy of Arts and Sciences, History, Politics, Religion, of these shifts include such with a joint faculty appointment Academia Sinica and the and the Princeton School of features of Chinese society as at the Princeton Institute for National Academy of Sciences. International and Public Affairs. work organizations, the education International and Regional Studies In 2019, he was given the Paul The Center also hosts visiting system, the urban/rural divide, (PIIRS). He is also a visiting chair F. Lazarsfeld Award for a career scholars, postdoctoral research migration, social inequality, professor at the Center for Social of outstanding contributions associates and other experts marriage and family, ethnicity, and Research, Peking University. to sociological methodology, on contemporary China. Please religion. Other examples include His main areas of interest are a lifetime achievement award see the Center’s website for full China’s fast economic growth, its social stratification, demography, from the American Sociological coverage of its activities, which nascent democratization efforts, statistical methods, Chinese Association. Xie joined the may be found here: ccc.princeton.edu/about 3 Center Visitors Visitors 2019-2020 Xiaoteng Ma, Visiting Student and PhD Candidate from Tsinghua Visiting Student Zihao Chen, University. People and PhD Candidate from Peking University. Yichun Yang, Visiting Student and PhD Candidate from Renmin Visiting Student Qing Huang, University. and PhD Candidate from Peking University. Xiaohang Zhao, Visiting Student and PhD Candidate from Peking Visiting Scholar Xiaotian Li, University. and Associate Professor from the Capital University of Physical Education and Sports. 4 Research Staff Research Assistants Postdoctoral Research Fengming Lu, PPPP Postdoctoral Research Associate. is a Associates 2019-20 Gavin G. Cook ’15 He received his PhD in Political Sociology PhD Candidate from Cheng Cheng, Peking-Princeton Science at Duke University Los Angeles, California. Postdoctoral Research Associate in 2018. (PPPP). She obtained her PhD Christian Venturella ’21 in Sociology from Princeton Donghui Wang, Postdoctoral expected, Chemistry major from University in 2018. Research Associate. She New Providence, New Jersey. earned her degree from The Huancheng Du, CUHK Pennsylvania State University in expected, Sandoval Wood ’22 Shenzhen-Princeton Postdoctoral rural sociology and demography. Sociology concentrator from Research Associate. He earned Princeton, New Jersey. his PhD and MS in Financial Feng Yang, Non-Resident Economics from American PPPP Postdoctoral Research University. Associate. He received his PhD in Political Science from the Qian He, Non-Resident University of California, PPPP Postdoctoral Research Los Angeles (UCLA). Associate. She obtained her PhD in Sociology from the Yang Zhou, Fudan-Princeton University of Wisconsin-Madison. Postdoctoral Research Associate. He earned his PhD in Economics Junming Huang, Research from Fudan University. Scientist. He received his PhD from the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Please see