Rachel Murphy

Professor of Chinese Development and Society

Affiliation: Oxford School of Global and Area Studies
Expert in: Cities and migration, Migrant families and children
Geographic focus: China

Rachel's research explores how migration intertwines with co-existing processes such as urbanisation, demographic change (including falling fertility and persisting sex ratio imbalances), the spread of education, and the expansion of digital media technologies to impact on lived experiences. She especially examines how those who are not conventionally recognized by commentators to be primary agents of migration including so-called 'left-behind' individuals and other stayers, notably children, perceive migration. She further examines the influences of gender norms on family reproduction through migration, on the identities of migrants and non-migrants, and on the wellbeing of left behind boys and girls.