About

I am an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE), China. My research examines social stratification and inequality under rapid institutional and technological change, with a primary focus on contemporary China. I study how transformations in education systems, policy environments, and digital infrastructures shape cognition, social behaviour, and life chances. I treat China as a strategic site for comparison with developed and other developing societies, aiming to contribute to sociological theory while also informing policy and organisational debates.

PhD (Sociology), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2021) · MSc (Models and Methods of Quantitative Economics), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne · MA (Public Policy & Management), Korea Development Institute

Research

My work connects three themes: inequality and social reproduction, institutional and policy change, and digital transformation. Empirically, I use large-scale surveys and comparative quantitative approaches to identify how macro-level change translates into micro-level inequalities in opportunities and well-being.

Keywords: social stratification; education inequality; social and cultural capital; digital divides; AI and society; comparative research; China.

Selected publications

• Lu,Y.(2026). Digital Divides in the AI Era: Socioeconomic Stratification and the Dual Role of Digital Payments in China. International Sociology.https://doi.org/10.1177/02685809251414400
• Lu, Y., Li, W., & Zhou, Z. (2024). School Matters to Whom? The Impact of Educational Resources on Cognitive Inequality. Applied Research in Quality of Life.
• Lu, Y., Scandurra, R., & Bonal, X. (2022). An integral model of cultural reproduction: The case of China. Current Sociology, 70(6), 897–920.
• Li, W., Liang, Z., Zhou, B., & Lu, Y. (2024). Destination Choices of International Students in China: The Impacts of Environmental and Policy Factors. Population Research and Policy Review, 43(5), 1–36.
• Atterberry, A. L., McCallum, D. G., & Lu, Y. (2022). Interrogating parenting and intergenerational relationships within national and transnational contexts. Current Sociology, 70(6), 801–805.

Manuscripts and working papers (selected):

• Physical Education in Transition: Comparing Online and Traditional PE Effects on Student Fitness During the COVID-19 Pandemic R&R
• Regional Dynamics and Policy Evolution: A Comprehensive Review of China’s Fertility Policies (1980–2021)
• Social Capital and Gender Income Gaps: Comparative Evidence from 29 Societies
• When Family Hurts: Intergenerational Coresidence, Income, and Depression Among Chinese Older Adults
• Gendered Sexual Norms, Cultural Capital, and Sexual Attitudes and Practices among Chinese College Students

Teaching

• Economic Sociology (Graduate, SWUFE; Chinese & English)
• Social Network and Behavior (Undergraduate, SWUFE; Chinese)
• College Student’s Mental Health (Undergraduate, SWUFE; Chinese)
• Topics in Economic Sociology (Doctoral, SWUFE; Chinese)