Menghan Zhao

Menghan Zhao is an Associate Professor of Demography at the Center for Population and Development Studies, Renmin University of China. She received her PhD in Demography from the University of Pennsylvania and specializes in research examining how gender intersects with family and population processes in contemporary East Asia, particularly mainland China.

Her research focuses on how gender dynamics interact with family structures and population processes such as childbearing behavior and divisions of labor to shape individual well-being and societal inequality. Her work primarily examines these phenomena within the context of contemporary East Asian societies, with a particular emphasis on mainland China.

Dr. Zhao's research output shows a consistent focus on gender, family, and demographic behavior in China, with publications appearing in both international journals like Population Research and Policy Review, Work, Employment and Society, and Ageing & Society, as well as leading Chinese journals including Population Research, Population & Economics, and Population Journal. Her work demonstrates an interdisciplinary approach bridging demography, sociology, and gender studies.

Her publications reveal strong patterns in examining work-family dynamics, fertility decisions, and gender disparities across the life course in Chinese society. She particularly investigates how social policies, economic transformations, and cultural norms interact to shape demographic behaviors and gender inequalities in contemporary China.

Dr. Zhao maintains active scholarly engagement through her publications in leading demographic and sociological journals, contributing to important conversations about population dynamics and gender relations in one of the world's most significant demographic contexts.