Ze Fan

Ze is a DPhil student in Area Studies (China) at Merton College. Her doctoral project explores intergenerational negotiations over marriage and childbearing decisions in urban China. Working on gender, family and society in contemporary China, and placing the Chinese case in comparative perspective, she is interested in how individual aspirations, family expectations and wider social expectations interact at a time of rapid demographic and social change.

Prior to joining OSGA, Ze completed a Master of International Affairs at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, with a concentration in Human Rights, Gender, and Equity. Her master’s thesis examined parental leave policy in China. She also holds a Master in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and a Bachelor of Management in Public Affairs Administration from Beijing Normal University.

Supervisor: Professor Rachel Murphy

Research disciplines

• Gender studies
• Sociology
• Social Policy
• Public policy

Research keywords

• Intergenerational negotiation, Marriage, Fertility, Family, Gender, Urban China

Research countries

• China