Junrong Sheng

Junrong Sheng is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan--Ann Arbor within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Her research examines gender inequality through comparative China-U.S. studies, focusing on the disconnect between women's public achievements and private sphere compliance with traditional norms.

She earned her PhD in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame (2019 cohort), where her dissertation explored intra-household dynamics in China. Her methodological approach integrates quantitative survey analysis with qualitative interviews to capture nuanced gender practices.

Research centers on three pillars:

• Division of unpaid labor showing persistent gender gaps despite women's income gains
• Intergenerational dynamics where extended families influence household gender relations
• Historical analysis of pre-reform China's state patriarchy shaping modern gender norms

As a new faculty member, she teaches social statistics and is developing grant proposals for longitudinal studies on Chinese family structures. Her work bridges sociology, gender studies, and demography through mixed-method frameworks.