Han Zhang
Biography
Han Zhang is the Young Family Assistant Professor of Sociology and International and Public Affairs at Brown University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Sociology from Princeton University and his bachelor’s in computer science and B.A. in sociology from Peking University. He previously taught at HKUST and worked as a research intern at Microsoft Research in New York City and Asia.
He is a political sociologist and computational social scientist whose research examines how digital surveillance technologies influence social movements, state–society relations, and governance in authoritarian regimes, particularly in China. To study these questions, he uses computer vision and deep learning to construct large-scale datasets on protests in China from social media and on global surveillance camera densities from street-view imagery. He also develops statistical methods and, more recently, explores how generative AI can support quantitative social science research.
Research
Zhang's research employs computational social science methods, utilizing machine-learning algorithms to create large-scale datasets from diverse image and text data sources. These datasets are pivotal in addressing substantive questions within his field. His substantive areas include the interrelated dynamics of protests and surveillance.
Zhang's first major project involved constructing a dataset of protest events in contemporary China (post-2010). This dataset facilitated a comprehensive analysis of trends, causes, effects and media biases associated with protests. The findings from this project have contributed to a deeper understanding of social dynamics in a controlled media environment.
The second major project he led developed a global-scale dataset detailing surveillance camera density across more than 1,000 cities and 100 countries. His current research explores how this increasing surveillance capability enables states to preemptively curb protests, potentially altering the foundational dynamics of social movements.
Additionally, he has been recognized for his innovative work in developing methodologies for the analysis of large-scale image datasets in social science research.
Publications
Han Zhang (forthcoming): "Two-Layer Panopticon: How the Chinese Government Uses Digital Surveillance to Prevent Collective Action." Social Forces.
Jean Hong, Kim Yong, Han Zhang, and Tianzhu Qin (forthcoming): "Hug Fans or Follow Celebrities? How Nationalism Is Reinforced on Chinese Social Media." Science Advances.
Han Zhang and Ryan Leung (forthcoming): "Joint Text-and-Image Clustering for Social Science Research." Sociological Methodology.
Linda Cheng, Yao Lu, and Han Zhang (2024), "Gendered Erasure and Manufactured Passivity: Asymmetric Media Attention to Protests in China." Mobilization, 29(3), 183-201.
Han Zhang, Yao Lu, and Rui Bai (2024), "Selection and Description Bias in Protest Reporting by Government and News Media on Weibo." The China Quarterly 256: 75–99.
Larry Liu and Han Zhang (2023), "Robots and Protest: Does Increased Protest Among Chinese Workers Result in More Automation?" Socio-Economic Review, 21(3), 1751-1772.
Wei Lai, Elaine Yao, and Han Zhang (2023), "Authoritarian Responsiveness and Political Attitudes During COVID-19: Evidence from Weibo and a Survey Experiment." Chinese Sociological Review, 55(1), 1-37.