Welcome to Linghui Han's homepage! 

My research interests center on the political economy of development and demography. My dissertation examines the relationship between industrial organization and institutional change, while my current work investigates states, firms, and families as key organizational levels of society. I focus particularly on how social norms—including cultural and religious factors—shape these institutions and influence the emergence of rule of law that facilitated the transition from premodern to modern societies. Crucially, I explore how modern scalable technology creates institutional evolutionary paths that differ markedly from historical contexts characterized by gradual technological change with smaller-scale effects.

My future research agenda will develop testable hypotheses examining the relationships between geography, culture and religion, family institutions, formal institutions, and demography. Understanding how religious beliefs and social norms shape collective versus individualistic orientations is essential for explaining regional variations in family structures. These variations affect firms and states with different levels and dimensions of limited liability, which in turn influence demographic patterns through their effects on fertility decisions.

I welcome discussions with scholars who share similar research interests about potential collaborations to develop this rich research agenda.

Contact

Email: hanlinghui92@gmail.com / drdpr6@jmu.edu

Campus address: 

Department of Economics, James Madison University

421 Bluestone Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807