SociologyPersonal Essay•2025
How Does Migration Shape Self-perception? The Impact of Migrational Factors on the Self-perceived Class Identity of Internal Migrants: A Case Study of Shanghai
Authors: Xiaochuan Qian
Published in: Personal Essay
This study examines the impact of internal migration on self-perceived class identity among migrants in Shanghai, a hub of China's socio-economic transformation. Despite economic growth and educational opportunities, many migrants identify as lower class, revealing a gap between objective progress and subjective identity. Using ordinary least squares regression, data from a survey of 394 floating population members are analyzed, controlling for variables like age, gender, education, financial status, and social attitudes to isolate migration effects. Results show longer residence in Shanghai boosts past social mobility but lowers future expectations, indicating integration alongside awareness of structural barriers. Economic migrants experience greater upward mobility than those migrating for family reasons. Local household registration significantly enhances access to resources, improving mobility. This research highlights how migration characteristics shape subjective class identity amid urban stratification, underscoring the persistent influence of institutional barriers like the household registration system. It provides critical insights for policymakers seeking to promote inclusive urban development and social integration.
migrationclass identityShanghaisocial stratification
Computer ScienceWorking Paper•2025
GANcraft-Art: A Pipeline for 3D Scene Creation and Text-Driven Artistic Stylization
Authors: Xiaochuan Qian
Published in: Working Paper
Creating and stylizing 3D scenes traditionally requires expertise, complex tools, and paired data, limiting accessibility. To address these challenges, we propose GANcraft-Art, a novel two-stage pipeline that transforms semantically labeled voxel-based 3D worlds into photorealistic scenes with customizable styles driven solely by text prompts. Using neural radiance fields enhanced with CLIP (Contrastive Language-Image Pretraining)-guided learning, our method enables flexible, view-consistent stylization without requiring reference images or paired datasets. Validated on Minecraft voxel maps, GANcraft-Art generates high-quality, coherent 3D scenes in diverse styles. While occasional artifacts and reliance on clear text prompts remain limitations, GANcraft-Art significantly lowers the barriers to 3D content creation, opening up new possibilities in game design, film production, and artistic expression.
Novel view synthesisNeural radiance fieldCLIPText guided stylization
SociologyPersonal Essay•2024
Implication of AI on the Labor Market: Possible Effects in Labor Demand and Labor Supply with Policy Recommendations for Future Sustained Growth
Authors: Xiaochuan Qian
Published in: Personal Essay
This paper explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the labor market, focusing on both domestic and international dimensions of labor demand and supply. With AI's projected market growth to US$738.80 billion by 2030, its integration is transforming economies by substituting labor with efficient AI capital, increasing productivity, and shifting skill requirements. The study examines job polarization, where demand for high- and low-skilled labor rises while middle-skilled jobs decline, exacerbating wage inequality. AI's influence on education and major selection is also analyzed, alongside the current lack of robust regulatory frameworks. Policy recommendations include tax benefits for skills training, relief for structural unemployment, and a progressive AI tax to mitigate deficits and reduce inequality. The paper concludes that while AI poses short-term challenges like unemployment, long-term growth is possible with strategic policies to ensure societal benefits over crises.
AIlabor marketpolicyeconomy
SociologyPersonal Essay•2023
The Causes of the Diminish of Local Dialects in the Contemporary Chinese Metropolitan Environment from a Language Planning and Policy Perspective: A Case Study of Shanghai Dialect
Authors: Xiaochuan Qian
Published in: Personal Essay
This study investigates the decline of the Shanghai dialect in Shanghai, China, from a language planning and policy perspective. As a global hub, Shanghai faces cultural dilution due to migration and modernization. The promotion of Putonghua (Mandarin) through national policies, education, and status planning has marginalized local dialects. This research concludes that current policies limit the revival of the Shanghai dialect, reflecting a tension between national unity and local linguistic identity.
linguisticspoliticsshanghaidialectvernacular