Current & Future Projects

I am particularly interested in studying the ways in which individuals resist attempts by the state to impose its power, and in doing so I use various qualitative research methods and draw on political (including social movements), economic, and organizational sociology. Below I illustrate my interest in resistance through my ongoing research projects.

Compliance and Resistance at the Coalface: Resourceful Recoupling of Environmental Practice in China

I introduce the concepts of resourceful recoupling and decoupling to show that economic considerations, cultural ethos, bureaucratic positionality, and individual resourcefulness explain what proceeds and follows the instrumental decision to decouple or recouple, as well as how each process actually unfolds.

Read more..

Constructing Legality: Evaluating China’s Rule of Law by Analyzing the Effectiveness of the Remedies Available under Labor Contract Law of 2008 for Migrant Construction Workers.

Despite the state attempts to disrupt a labor protest before it occurs, we find the state’s designs often have the opposite effect, as workers increasingly rely on extra-judicial methods to assert their newly given rights.

Read more..

Future Research: Meso-level State Actors in the North Central China Rustbelt

This series of articles will examine how meso-level officials resourcefully provide stability, manage uncertainty, and develop new relationships with capital, labor, and other bureaucrats as they implement 'common prosperity' and restructured tax laws.

Read more..

Future Research: Chinese Neighborhoods

This will investigate the experiences of Chinese migrants who created large Chinese neighborhoods in different countries and cities.

Read more..

Future Research: Migrant Neighborhoods within Chinese Cities

These articles will investigate migrant neighborhoods within Chinese cities, following migrant workers from their inland homes in Shanxi and Henan to coastal cities.

Read more..

Future Research: Migrant Workers and Aging

This series of articles examining how migrant gig and aging manufacturing workers and miners navigate the social welfare system in China.

Read more..

Nifty tech tag lists from Wouter Beeftink