Welcome! I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at Emory University. My research focuses on nationalism, political culture, and public opinion formation.

My dissertation examines how non-state actors shape cultural governance and political messaging in authoritarian contexts. Focusing on China’s entertainment industry, I analyze how the state co-opts celebrities to amplify nationalist narratives and how audiences interpret these displays to draw symbolic boundaries of national belonging. An article developed from a dissertation chapter is forthcoming in the American Sociological Review. My research has been funded by the Halle Institute for Global Research and Learning, the OYCF-Chow Fellowship, and the Institute for Humane Studies.

I received a B.A. degree in Sociology and Translation from the University of Hong Kong. I am a first-generation-to-college student.

Beyond academia, I enjoy singing, journaling, hiking, and winding down with old movies or standup comedy. I’m also a voracious language learner, currently confusing my Duolingo owl with French, Korean, and the occasional Minionese.

Feel free to contact me at lingxiao.chen [at] emory.edu.