Isabelle THIREAU studied at University Paris Nanterre and achieved her doctoral degree in Anthropology from INALCO (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales) in 1984. She is now a fellow of EHESS (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales) and CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique). She has a strong interest in the social norm of contemporary China, rule of law and legitimacy, academy history of sociology and anthropology, social mobility in China and social norms in urban and rural areas.