Topic: Cultural Diversity and the Formation of Social Integration in Early Social Environments

Speaker: Professor Chen Yuanyuan, Vice Dean of the School of Economics at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

Host: Professor Zhao Guochang from RIEM

Time: December 9th (Tuesday) 10:00-11:30

Location: Conference Room 1211, Gezhi Building, Liulin Campus

Speaker's Profile

Professor Chen Yuanyuan is currently the Vice Dean of the School of Economics and the Head of the Department of Labor Economics at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, as well as a doctoral supervisor. She obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from Boston College in 2005 and a bachelor's degree in International Economics from Peking University in 1998.

Professor Chen has long been dedicated to research in the fields of labor economics, educational economics, and applied econometrics, with a particular focus on issues such as migrant populations, education of migrant children, human capital accumulation, and non cognitive development. She has published a large number of high-quality research results in authoritative academic journals at home and abroad, such as Economic Research, Management World, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Journal of Population Economics, China Economic Review, PNAS, and has led multiple national level scientific research projects, including the National Social Science Fund Major Project (Chief Expert) and the National Natural Science Foundation General Project. His works, such as "Reform and Impact Assessment of Policies for Migrant Children's Education" and "The Future of Cities: The Shanghai Model of Education for Migrant Children," have had a wide impact in academia.

Professor Chen Yuanyuan has won the first prize of Shanghai Philosophy and Social Sciences Excellent Achievement Award, selected for the National Talent Project of the Ministry of Education, the "Zhongzhen Research Achievement Award" of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and the "Good Teacher in the Eyes of Students". She has outstanding teaching and research achievements and is an influential scholar in the field of labor and educational economics.

Abstract

The lecture will introduce how local cultural diversity shapes social integration in early social environments. Using the system of random class allocation in Chinese primary schools, this study provides causal evidence: high cultural fragmentation (i.e. the presence of many small groups in the class) promotes cross-cultural communication among students, while cultural polarization (i.e. the class being dominated by a few large groups) inhibits this communication. In addition to peer interaction, diversity also affects broader behavioral outcomes, including openness and rule compliance. Mechanism analysis shows that classroom diversity plays a role by influencing 'ingroup preference'. In addition, the effects of diversity are moderated by various situational factors, including the diversity of residential communities, the duration and intensity of peer interaction, the existence of barriers between locals and outsiders, and institutional features such as school practices and teacher participation. In summary, these findings highlight the importance of local diversity in the process of social integration formation, as well as its interaction with personal experiences and institutional backgrounds.