Position Type
Faculty
Service
- Present
Links
Personal Website
Specialization
Sociology of gender, Science and technology studies, Quantitative & Computational methods
Pronouns
She / Her
Biography

Dr. Yao is a quantitative sociologist and studies the persistence of gender inequality in contemporary societies. Her current work uses quantitative and computational methods to study 1) how emerging AI technologies reinforce or challenge existing gender inequalities; 2) the constructions of femininity and masculinity in the digital space; 3) women’s (dis)advantages in education and labor market in China and the U.S.

She is passionate about equipping students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds with quantitative skills and computational literacy. Through her research and teaching, she aims to cultivate the integration of feminist social science insights with rigorous quantitative methods.

Degree(s)
PhD, MA, The Ohio State University; MA, BA, Renmin University of China

Learning & Teaching

Courses
  • WGST101/QS290: Issues in Feminism: Introductions to Women’s and Gender Studies
  • WGST286/DA286: When AI Meets Feminism: Critical Perspectives and Actionable Strategies

Works

Publications

Peer-reviewed journal articles:

  1. Buchmann, Claudia, Rachel Dwyer, and Man Yao. 2025. “The Deepening GenderDivide in Credentials 2000-2020: Continuity, Change, and Implications.” RSF: TheRussell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences.
  2. Yao, Man. 2024. “Persistence of the Gender Frame: Gender Perceptions ofAmbiguous Chinese and Gender-Neutral American Names in the United States.”Gender & Society, 38(6), 868-901.
  3. Zheng, Hui, Yao Lu, and Man Yao. 2024. “Emerging Health Disparities amongCollege Graduates: Understanding the Health Consequences of Education-OccupationMismatch.” Social Science Research, 120: 103015. 4. Yao, Man and Siqi Han. 2024. “Who Earns the Iron Rice Bowl? Major Marketabilityand State Sector Jobs among College-Educated Workers in Urban China.” ChineseJournal of Sociology, 10(2), 167-191.
  4. Downey, Douglas, Man Yao, and Joseph Merry. 2023. “The Inverse AssociationLast updated: April 20252Between Number of Siblings and Divorce: New Evidence from China and Europe.”Journal of Family Issues, 45(4), 890-930.
  5. Yao, Man. 2023. “Graduate school, Work, or Unclear? Gender Differences in thePost-college Plans among China’s Recent College Graduates.” Sociological Perspectives,66(2), 246–275.
  6. Yao, Man, Tori I. Rehr, and Erica P. Regan. 2023. “Gender Differences in FinancialKnowledge among College Students: Evidence from a Recent Multi-institutionalSurvey.” Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 44, 693–713.

Book Chapters:

  1. Buchmann, Claudia, and Man Yao. 2025. “Gender as an Axis of Stratification”, inMarkus Gangl, and others (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Social Stratification.

Professional & Community Service / Professional Memberships

  1. American Sociological Association, Sociologists for Women in Society, International Sociological Association Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification and Mobility, National Women’s Studies Association
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