Assistant Professor
About
Professor Xu passed away on December 12, 2023.
Xiaohong Xu’s research lies in the intersection of comparative historical sociology, cultural sociology, and political economy. He has investigated and published on patterns of contention in revolutionary China as well as state formation in early modern Europe. His current research focuses on the dynamics of politicization and depoliticization in modern China, ranging from the Communist revolution to the prodemocracy protests in contemporary Hong Kong. Apart from research articles on these topics, he is writing a book manuscript, entitled "The Great Separation: The Chinese Cultural Revolution and the Political Origins of Our Time", that examines the political dynamics and political economy of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in order to understand how the event has shaped the ideological hegemony of depoliticized economism in Reform China and its relationship with global capitalism. Meanwhile, he is beginning a new project on colonial cities in East and Southeast Asia, their role in decolonization and nationalist movements, and their afterlives in the postcolonial era.
