PhD student profile - Ze Liu
Thesis title: Work-life balance of single mothers.
Research summary
Ze’s research explores how single mothers from Hong Kong negotiate work–life balance while living in the UK. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with Hong Kong single mothers to capture their lived experiences.
The research examines how participants perceive and access organisational support, and how this support is shaped by differences in welfare systems, employment practices, and cultural expectations between Hong Kong and the UK. An intersectional framework is applied to understand how overlapping identities influence both the constraints faced and the coping strategies adopted in managing work–life balance.
The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how migration, gender, and family status interact to shape work–life experiences in a cross-cultural context.
Current teaching
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