Mallory Zhan
Short biography
Mallory is a researcher who brings her interdisciplinary background in sociology, political science and development studies to research the topics of sustainable consumption, ecological citizenship and just transition. She currently leads a research project on sustainable consumption and sufficiency lifestyles at Sciences Po Paris, where she has served as a postdoctoral fellow since 2023.
From 2021-2023, she led research activities at the Horizon2020 project DIALOGUES, delving into the topic of citizen participation in the green energy transition in European countries.
Mallory Zhan holds a PhD in Environment and Sustainable Development from the University of Geneva. Prior, she received a master’s degree in development studies from the Graduate Institute in Geneva and a bachelor’s degree in economics at Agnes Scott College in the United States.
Selected Publications
Peer-reviewed Journal Articles
Zhan, M.X. (2023) Lifestyle for social change? Exploring framing and lifestyle politics in the Chinese zero waste movement. Consumption and Society. [accepted for publication, open access link coming soon]
Zhan, M.X. (2022) Sustainable Consumption and the Well-being Dividend: Insights from the Zero-Waste Movement in Chinese Cities. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 18:1, 731-748. DOI: 10.1080/15487733.2022.2111925
Zhan, M.X. (2022) Waste in Zero-Waste Households: The Power of Materials and Norms in Everyday Consumption. Worldwide Waste: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 5(1):4, 1-15. DOI:10.5334/wwwj.85
Book Chapters
Sahakian, M. and Zhan, MX. (2023) Practice Makes Perfect! Exploring how Practices Cause Consumption Problems, and are also Part of the Solution. In Fischer, Sahakian, King, Dyer and Seyfang (eds.) Teaching and Learning Sustainable Consumption: A Guidebook. London: Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003018537
Scientific Reports
Shejale, S., Zhan, MX. and Sahakian, M. (2022) What Forms of Citizenship in European Energy Initiatives? Deterrents and Enablers to Further Support A Just Energy Transition. DIALOGUES. Available here.
Clément, G., Guerrieri, M., Sahakian, M., Schibel, K. and Zhan, M.X. Guidebook for designing and implementing Citizen Action Labs and Recruitment to the Citizen Action Labs. DIALOGUES. Available here.
PhD Thesis
Sustainable Consumption, Green Citizenship and Well-being: Understanding the “Zero Waste” Lifestyle Movement in Urban China (2022). Under the supervision of Marlyne Sahakian and François Grey.
Teaching
At the School of Social Sciences, University of Geneva:
Participatory and Qualitative Methods (Master’s level – 2022)
Social and Environmental Dilemmas in Capitalism (Master’s level – 2021, 2022)
Sustainable Consumption and Social Change (Master’s level – 2021, 2022)
Summer school on Sustainable Development Goals (Mixed –2018, 2019, 2020)