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Common Concerns The Common Concerns Approach: Birth of an Idea
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Mar 19, 2026 
Xiang Biao, co-director at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology and noted migration scholar, shares the origins of his Common Concerns approach. He recounts fieldwork among migrants, the turn to public-facing writing, and how co-research and public testing shape actionable, generative concepts. The conversation highlights workshops, responsibility in public influence, and turning lived worries into research practices.
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How A Newspaper Sparked Lifelong Focus On Ordinary People
- Xiang Biao discovered his research direction after reading a news report as a 16-year-old that criticised faculty 'human quality', which angered him and pushed him toward studying ordinary people's agency.
- He spent six years hanging out in a migrant community in South Beijing because university lectures felt lifeless, and that field time shaped his practical focus on people's everyday problem-solving.
Public Demand Reawakened Research Purpose
- Public demand for practical thinking tools pulled Xiang into writing for broader audiences from 2004 onward and reawakened his intellectual energy.
- Immediate feedback from readers (echoes) confirmed usefulness and made him feel 'alive', turning luck into sustained engagement.
Use Visibility As A Responsible Resource
- Treat public influence as a resource you must use responsibly rather than a role you must perform; accept possible criticism while committing to the public interest.
- Use visibility to enable others to act, not to protect your image; be 'guardian of the public demand'.