Originally from a public health background, Zhaoxi completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree with a major in Public Health (UQ) in 2018. Gradually transitioning into sociology, he obtained a Bachelor of Health Sciences Honours (Class I) degree (UQ) in 2019 by qualitatively investigating Australian terminal cancer patients’ cannabis use identities and self-presentations. With his expertise in qualitative methods and social theories, Zhaoxi has worked on a range of research projects mostly within the field of early childhood education and care as a senior research technician at UQ Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR). Zhaoxi commenced his Ph.D. in 2021 with the UQ School of Social Science, in which he also works as a teaching academic.
Mostly adopting a critical perspective, Zhaoxi investigates children’s involvement in late modern societies in his Ph.D. research. More specifically, guided by critical post-humanist and new materialist theories, his thesis uses post-qualitative inquiry to explore children’s everyday socio-material encounters with death, dying and loss. Departing from the traditional childhood and death research that prioritises human-centric ‘experiences’ and ‘understandings’, his research also seeks to make methodological contributions by deconstruct the well-established meanings and dichotomisations of child/adult and living/death. Empirically, this project advocates for young children’s active participation in complex social affairs and integration into adult human landscapes.
Zhaoxi’s advisors are Associate Professor Rebecca E. Olson, Dr Sally Staton (ISSR), and Dr Jenny Setchell (HaBS).
Publications
Book Chapters
Olson, Rebecca E. and Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). Death and dying. Encyclopedia of health research in the social sciences. (pp. 77-81) edited by Kevin Dew and Sarah Donovan. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781800885691.ch14
Zheng, Zhaoxi and Olson, Rebecca E. (2023). How are normative deaths celebrated, reinforced, or disrupted in children’s media? A critical discourse analysis of Coco and Soul. Difficult death, dying and the dead in media and culture. (pp. 115-131) edited by Sharon Coleclough, Bethan Michael-Fox and Renske Visser. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-40732-1_8
Journal Articles
Staines, Zoe, Smith, Kiah, Plage, Stefanie, Nahar Lata, Lutfun, Fay, Suzanna, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Simpson Reeves, Laura, Beazley, Helen, Kuskoff, Ella, Clarke, Andrew, McGowan, Glenys, Shevellar, Lynda and Prangnell, Jonathan (2023). Social science as social action to address inequalities. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 59 (1), 108-127. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.272
Cooke, Emma, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Houen, Sandy, Thorpe, Karen, Clarke, Andrew, Oakes, Candice and Staton, Sally (2023). Discursive tensions: Outcomes and rights in educators’ accounts of children’s relaxation. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 24 (1), 70-81. doi: 10.1177/1463949120983480
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). Everything about children, death, and ethics all at once. International Review of Qualitative Research, 16 (2), 1-13. doi: 10.1177/19408447221149491
Coles, Laetitia, Johnstone, Melissa, Pattinson, Cassandra, Thorpe, Karen, Van Halen, Olivia, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Bayliss, Olivia, Lakeman, Nicole, Western, Mark, Povey, Jenny and Staton, Sally (2022). Identifying factors for poorer educational outcomes that may be exacerbated by
COVID
‐19: A systematic review focussing on at‐risk school children and adolescents. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 58 (1), 13-40. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.236
Staton, S., Coles, L., Zheng, Z. and Thorpe, K. (2020). COVID-19: Giving the Gift of Family Time. Report from the Understanding the Social Impacts of COVID-19 Study. Contact Magazine.
Conference Papers
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). “What’s that giant pile of garbage behind you?": art as resistance in neoliberal research training. Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama, and Performance Studies, Adelaide, SA Australia, 27 November-1 December 2023.
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). P(erforming) h(onest) D(octorate): A Possibility of Creativity in Neoliberal Academia / Ostvarivanje vjerodostojnog doktorata: Mogućnost kreativnosti u neoliberalnoj akademiji. International Artistic and Scientific Conference on Arts and Creativity in Education, Opatija, Croatia / Online, 23-24 September 2023.
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). Discussing Death: Ethics, Response-ability, and Materiality in Childhood Research. 16th International Conference of Death, Dying, and Disposal (DDD16), Padua, Italy, 7-9 September 2023.
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). Childish, Magical, or Creative? Unsettling Normative Death through Children's Perspectives. 16th International Conference of Death, Dying, and Disposal, Padua, Italy, 7-9 September 2023.
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). Empowering medical students in sociology classrooms: the possibilities of object-based learning. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia [HERDSA] 2023 Annual Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 4-7 July 2023.
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). Learning to become neoliberal subjects: discursive tensions between Australian higher education policies and research student experiences. ISA World Congress of Sociology, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 25 June-1 July 2023. Melbourne, VIC Australia:
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2023). 'Dinosaurs are only alive in erupting volcanos because they are already dead': young children's creative accounts about death. Centre for Death and Society Conference 2023, Online, 3-4 May 2023. United Kingdom: Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath.
Coles, Laetitia, Casey, Charlotte, Thorpe, Karen, Houen, Sandy, Zheng, Z. and Staton, Sally (2023). Exploring our understanding of drop-off and pick-up in early childhood education and care contexts. 31st EECERA Conference, Estoril, Portugal, 30 August – 2 September 2023.
Zheng, Zhaoxi and Olson, Rebecca (2022). Are normative deaths celebrated, reinforced, or disrupted in children's media? A critical discourse analysis of Coco and Soul. The Australian Sociological Association Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 28 November - 2 December 2022.
Zheng, Zhaoxi, Huber, Bernadette, Wijngaarden, Clare, Su, Susanna and Doherty, Skye (2022). Post‐COVID theatres: understanding young adults’ perspectives and experiences. Travelling Together: The Australian Association for Theatre, Drama, and Performance Studies Conference 2022, Auckland, New Zealand, 6-9 December 2022.
Staton, S., Houen, S., Rankin, P., Cooke, E., Zheng, Z. and Thorpe, K. (2022). The when, what, and how of observing practice in Early Childhood Education and Care: development of the Assisting Observations Toolkit for Authorised Officers. AARE2022, Adelaide, SA Australia, 27 November - 1 December 2022.
Zheng, Zhaoxi and Freeman, Camille (2022). Trading creativity for employability in research training: reflections from two HDR student representatives. A New Education World: Sociology for Thinking about the Possibilities of Education. A TASA & AARE Sociology of Education Symposium, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 7 September 2022. Melbourne, VIC Australia:
Zheng, Zhaoxi, Clarke, Andrew, Coles, Laetitia and Staton, Sally (2021). Reconceptualising Home and Ontological Security in COVID-19 Times. The Australian Sociological Association 2021 Annual Conference (TASA Thematic Week), Online, 22-26 November 2021.
Zheng, Z., Olson, R., Setchell, J. and Staton, S. (2021). Disentangling adultness in childhood research: death talk as an example. International Society of Critical Health Psychology Biennial Conference 2021, Online; Pōneke (Wellington), New Zealand, 22-25 August 2021.
Cooke, Emma, Houen, Sandy, Zheng, Zhaoxi and Staton, Sally (2020). The importance of understanding children’s perspectives: research with children. Paediatric Sleep Medicine Research Group (PSMRG) Research Mentorship Program Clinical Nurses Introduction Day, Queensland Children's Hospital, 19 October 2020.
Zhaoxi Zheng, Rebecca Olson and Kylie Morphett (2019). Medicinal Cannabis Use among Queensland-based Terminal Cancer Patients: A Qualitative Investigation into Identity and Self-presentation. The Australian Sociological Association, Sydney, Australia, 25-28 November 2019.
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2019). Fantastic cannabis users and how they see themselves. UQ School of Social Science Postgraduate Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 1st November 2019.
Thesis
Zheng, Zhaoxi (2019). Medicinal Cannabis Use amongst individuals with advanced cancer in Australia: a qualitative investigation into cannabis use identities and self-presentations. Honours Thesis, Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland Australia.
Research Reports
Zheng, Zhaoxi, Huber, Bernadette, Wijngaarden, Clare and Su, Qianna (2022). Understanding young adults’ perspectives and experiences of theatre. Global Change Scholars Program Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/c8cb09c
Coles, Laetitia, Staton, Sally, Pattinson, Cassandra, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Inch, Zeb, Johnstone, Melissa and Thorpe, Karen (2020). Learning through COVID-19: Rapid review of young children who started school already behind (Cohort 1): Pillar 1: Technical Supporting Report 2 of 7. Learning through COVID-19 St Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Coles, Laetitia, Staton, Sally, Pattinson, Cassandra, Cleary, Anne, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Van Halen, Olivia and Thorpe, Karen (2020). Learning through COVID-19: Grey literature scan: current international evidence on the educational impacts of COVID-19: Pillar 1: Technical Supporting Report 1 of 7. Learning through COVID-19 St Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Generic Documents
Houen, Sandy, Cooke, Emma, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Nuttall, Gina, Thorpe, Karen and Staton, Sally (2021). Supporting educator relaxation in early childhood education and care. ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course.
Staton, S., Houen, S., Rankin, P., Beatton, T., Zheng, Z., Cooke, E., Irvine, S. and Thorpe, K. (2020). Observing ECEC quality: development of an observation strategy for authorised officers. Queensland Government, Department of Education.
Coles, L., Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Cleary, A., Zheng, Z., Inch, Z., Johnstone, M. and Thorpe, K. (2020). Rapid Review of young children who started school already behind. Technical Report for the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
Coles, L., Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Cleary, A., Zheng, Z., Van Halen, O. and Thorpe, K. (2020). Grey literature scan: current International evidence on the educational impacts of COVID-19. Technical Report for the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
Coles, L., Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Zheng, Z., Van Halen, O. and Thorpe, K. (2020). Current international evidence on the educational impacts of COVID-19. Technical Report for the Paul Ramsay Foundation.