Overview
Fangsheng uses mixed methods to study the social, political, and technological contexts of education. His current research investigates questions such as: Why are education inequality and intensity so difficult to reduce, even under a strong state? How do new forms of education emerge amid shifts in culture and technology?
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Assistant Professor of Sociology at Duke Kunshan University
·
2022 - Present
DKU Faculty
Assistant Professor of the Practice of Interdisciplinary Studies at DKU Unit at Duke University
·
2025 - Present
Interdisciplinary Studies at DKU Unit,
DKU Faculty
Recent Publications
Pioneers at start-up universities: how pragmatist agency explains education decisions amid uncertainties
Journal Article British Journal of Sociology of Education · January 1, 2026 Educational decision-making is often explained by pursuits of goals that either result from education (external goods) or are intrinsic to it (internal goods). These existing theories are usually derived from stable education contexts and offer limited ins ... Full text Link to item CiteThe Inclusion Paradox: Why Inclusive Space Excludes Migrant Children, and Vice Versa
Journal Article Chinese Education and Society · January 1, 2024 What characteristics of space predict exclusive policies? Intuitively, socioeconomically exclusive spaces–such as wealthy urban centers in China–would also be exclusive in welfare provision. Drawing from cross-district comparisons within a Chinese metropol ... Full text Open Access CiteEducation, inequality, and intensive parenting in China
Thesis Dissertation · 2022 This dissertation addresses why education has remained intensive, unequal, and exam-oriented in China, despite extensive government efforts to reform them. Existing studies on these issues focus either on the top-down public policies or bottom-up family st ... Link to item CiteEducation
Harvard University ·
2022
Ph.D.