Xizi Luo

London School of Economics

Meritocracy or not: State, elite families and the Examination System in Qing Dynasty

I appreciate receiving the Economic History Society PhD Bursary for my third year of PhD study. My dissertation studies the social mobility in Qing China to understand the role of Chinese institutions. It focuses specifically on the multigenerational mobility and strategies the elite applied to maintain social status (such as marriage assortment). The bursary contributed to my research by providing financial support towards parts of my tuition and trips to Cambridge (EHS), Groningen (EHES) and Paris (WEHC). It has allowed me to concentrate on writing my marriage paper during the past year, as well as present my work and receive feedback.