Chinese Social Networks in an Age of Digitalization: Liquid Guanxi
(Routledge, 2023)

​Guanxi is a system of cultural and psychological rules that orders every interaction in China, from the labor market to the military, to politics, and even law. It is the lifeblood of the nation and nearly just as old. But how has guanxi kept pace – or changed – in the modern rapids of digitalization?

This monograph is the first to examine how the rise of social networking sites is transforming guanxi and everyday networking in China, now home to the largest population of users worldwide and nearly universal adoption in the nation. This monograph argues that digitalization is making guanxi liquid: that social and geographical boundaries are being melted away – and with it, people are experiencing a newfound liberation in how they network, trust, and feel toward others. In the wake of this liquid guanxi, this monograph asserts that Chinese modernity itself is transforming into what it calls a digital agora, a new intermediary space between the public and private spheres that balances obligations to both realms – a synergy now essential to social survival in China.

​Available for pre-order at Routledge, MIT, Indigo, Amazon, Willowbrook, and Thriftbooks.

The Governance of Economic Development: Investment, Innovation, and Competition in China
(Under contract with Routledge)

China is caught in the midst of the largest policy crackdown in history. The ferocity of this far-reaching crackdown, strewn across every market sector, has cast into scrutiny a newly emerging era of development, and raised new questions about what it means for the future of Chinese governance and development. Has China abandoned its modern commitment to market-oriented reforms? Is this a reversion to the bygone days of Maoist Communism? 

The ongoing crackdown, this monograph argues, is not a breakage – but a continuation of the legacy of development initiated fifty years ago under Deng Xiaoping. Drawing on rich economic and developmental data, this monograph recasts old ideas about Chinese governance with cutting-edge insights about the economic machinery and policy regime that drive modern China. As this monograph will show, the seemingly unconnected parts of the ongoing crackdown across China – the shadow banking network, real estate, internet technology, entertainment, housing, private education – can all be understood in terms of a consistent economic model. 

This monograph explores the social structure of this economic model, from an ideological foundation that is not political but cultural in nature, to its institutional arrangements, to its macroeconomic and fiscal policies. The monograph discusses the policy interventions and development goals motivated by these social structures, offering a major new contribution to understanding the social and economic challenges that face China today – and its next fifty years.

Mental Health in East Asia: Cultural Beliefs, Social Networks, and Mental Health Experiences 
(Routledge, 2023)

This monograph examines how culture informs popular understandings and experiences of mental health in East Asia, as well as providing resolutions for the future.

Questions about mental health problems have gained new urgency as their consequences are growing more visible in East Asia. Yet, our understanding, funding, and evidence has not kept pace. This monograph explores the social and psychological concepts, and network structures that make up the blueprint of East Asian cultures and untangles their myriad of influences on how people think, feel, and trust with respect to mental health experiences. Chapters explore themes such as cultural beliefs about mental health, the role of social support and social media, and mental health stigma.
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Drawing on the latest quantitative evidence, network science, and novel qualitative data, this book paints a portrait of mental health in the region and articulates culturally sensitive policies and practices tailored for East Asian cultures that improve mental health experiences.

Available at Routledge, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.