Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Author IDs
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4196-8101
Scopus Author ID: 57192190468
Google Scholar Profile: ODpZGbEAAAAJ
Impact
Qualifications (Brief)
BA (Law; Sun Yat-sen University)
MA (Law; Sun Yat-sen University)
MPhil & PhD (Socioculture Anthropology, Yale University)
Projects
On-going research projects:
- Urbanization, Infrastructural transformation, and Spatial politics in China (funded by GRF & ECS)
- Platform Economy and Platformized Lifestyles
- An Ethnographic Exploration of a Care-centered Approach to Square Dancing and Gendered Aging in Urban China (funded by CityU)
- The emerging philanthropic landscape in China (with Dr. Gonçalo Santos; funded by GRFs; book manuscript in progress)
- The Politics and Ethics of Childbirth Medicalization in Reform era China (with Dr. Gonçalo Santos; funded by GRF)
Press/Media
- Interviewed or quoted by international newspapers (English) including The New York Times, BBC and the Deutsche Welle
- Interviewed by Chinese newspaper, magazines, and other media platforms including 澎湃新聞、南方人物週刊、第一財經、中歐商業評論、時代財經、智族 and so on.
- Interviewed by broadcast networks such as CNA (Singapore-based)
Position(s) Available
Will accept PhD students who have solid training in anthropology or sociology.
Research Interests/Areas
Discipline:
- Sociocultural Anthropology
Research Interests:
- Social Transformation and Urban Development
- Mobility and Class Politics
- Infrastructures and Spatial Politics
- Science, Technology and Society in Asia
- China Studies
Related Links
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics where Jun ZHANG is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
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Collaborations from the last five years
Recent external collaboration based on locations. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Research output
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Drive to Grow: Spatial Frictions and Struggles in a Chinese Ride-Hailing Platform’s Scale-Making
Xing, J. L. & Zhang, J., Jun 2026, (Online published) In: Global Media and China.Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review
Open Access -
(Infra)-structural Disconnect: Modernizing Toilets in Rural China
Ling, M. (Co-first Author) & Zhang, J., 3 Jun 2025.Research output: Conference Papers › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (without host publication) › peer-review
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Mythologies of Wealth in Platform Economies: The Case of the Ride-Hailing Platform Didi in China
Zhang, J., Xing, J. L. & Santos, G. D., 15 Dec 2025, (Online published) In: Science Technology and Human Values. 32 p.Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review
1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus) -
Towards a processual approach to digital platforms' infrastructuralization: the case of WeChat in China
Zhang, J. & Xing, J. L., Jul 2025, In: Chinese Journal of Communication. 18, 3, p. 332-349Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review
3 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
The Rise in Cesarean Births and the Technocratic Medicalization of Childbirth in Late-Reform China
Santos, G. D. & Zhang, J., Sept 2024, In: Modern China. 50, 5, p. 531-567Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)368 Downloads (CityUHK Scholars)
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GRF: An Ethnographic, Processual Study of Platformized Lives: WeChat in China as a Case Study
ZHANG, J. (Principal Investigator / Project Coordinator), KANG, Y. (Co-Investigator) & SANTOS, G. (Co-Investigator)
1/01/25 → …
Project: Research
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ECS: Demolish the Walls, Rebuild the City: Infrastructural Transformation and the Emergence of Urban Governance in Republican Canton, China
ZHANG, J. (Principal Investigator / Project Coordinator)
1/01/20 → 2/01/25
Project: Research
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GRF: Women and Birth in Transition: The Politics of Childbirth Medicalization in Reform era China
ZHANG, J. (Principal Investigator / Project Coordinator) & SANTOS, G. (Co-Investigator)
1/09/19 → 26/08/24
Project: Research
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GRF: Old Neighbourhoods, New Spaces: Urban Reconstruction and Governance in China’s Urbanization
ZHANG, J. (Principal Investigator / Project Coordinator) & SANTOS, G. (Co-Investigator)
1/01/17 → 28/12/20
Project: Research
Press/Media
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Chinese techno-nationalism more than mere propaganda
16/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Why China Is the World’s Last ‘Zero Covid’ Holdout
27/10/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Why is Laos building Mekong dams it doesn't need?
15/01/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Interview by BBC Radio 4 "Thinking Allowed" for my book "Driving toward Modernity"
30/09/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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To Help or not to Help: Ambiguities of ‘Doing Good’ amidst Rising Inequalities in Contemporary China
ZHANG, J. (Speaker) & SANTOS, G. D. (Speaker)
23 Oct 2025Activity: Talk/lecture or presentation › Talk/lecture
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Discussant for a book talk "Automotive Empire: How Cars and Roads Fueled European Colonialism in Africa"
Zhang, J. (Speaker)
29 Oct 2024Activity: Talk/lecture or presentation › Talk/lecture
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American Anthropological Association (External organisation)
ZHANG, J. (Member)
Nov 2022 → Nov 2023Activity: Membership › Membership of board
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Worldwide Waste: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies (Journal)
ZHANG, J. (Editorial Board Member)
May 2022 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work (RGC: 61) › Editorial membership and others
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Book talk: Driving toward Modernity: Cars and Lives of the Middle Class in Contemporary China
ZHANG, J. (Speaker)
17 Feb 2022Activity: Talk/lecture or presentation › Talk/lecture