It has been my privilege and pleasure to teach and mentor both undergraduate and graduate (MA and Ph.D.) students. Seeing students thriving is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Undergraduate students who take my courses come from a variety of majors/concentrations, from sociology to government, economics, English literature, computer science, and biology. Many of them went to graduate school, especially law school, or entered public service after graduation. I have also mentored master students at Harvard's Regional Studies East Asia (RSEA) program. Some of my MA students pursue a Ph.D. after graduation, while others work for the public sector. I have worked with Ph.D. students who are interested in political sociology, social movement, inequality, surveillance technology, and platform economy.
Given my own experiences as a child growing up in a single-parent household, a first-generation college student, an international student, a minority immigrant, and a mother raising a child in a non-conventional family in a foreign country, I am well aware of the ways in which students arrive at the university from diverse backgrounds and how students' backgrounds can influence learning experiences. I value the range of perspectives and experiences students bring to the classroom and campus, while tailoring mentoring work to each student’s specific needs. The unconditional support that I received from my professors at the University of Michigan strengthens my responsibility and commitment to teaching and mentoring.
SOCIOL 2209: Qualitative Social Analysis
This course is required for and limited to first year PhD students in Sociology and Sociology/Social Policy programs, and the Sociology tracks of the Organizational Behavior doctoral programs. It is designed to provide students with an understanding of qualitative research, with a special emphasis on participant observation and interview-based research.
SOCIOL 1411: Contemporary Chinese Society
This course provides you with basic literacy to read news about and understand contemporary Chinese society—an increasingly necessary skill for informed citizens in our current global moment. No prior knowledge or language skill is needed to take this class. The point, rather, is to learn about contemporary Chinese societies together, with each person bringing their own unique perspective.
The only prerequisite is that you must be open-minded and respective of each other in class and section meetings. Sociological courses—whether focusing on domestic or international contexts—tend to highlight social problems, such as inequality and injustice. This course is no exception; as such, we will spend much time discussing the various social issues facing contemporary China.
My lectures will be organized according to a set of questions listed in the course outline. We will explore the profound transformations of the post-1978 reform period, which include: China’s transition to a market economy, the government’s introduction of population policy, urbanization, growing inequality, the emergence of civil society, the rise of contentious politics, and the Chinese state’s tightening control. The course will examine how these changes have impacted social relations, how they have been experienced and understood by Chinese people, and how, in turn, the responses of individuals have shaped the trajectory of reforms. We will also discuss some socio-political developments in Taiwan in order to understand and compare the different developmental trajectories.
Although the course is listed in the sociology catalog, readings and topics covered in the seminar are situated at the intersection of sociology, political science, law, communication studies, anthropology, and history.
SOCIOL 182: Law and Society
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote: “The life of the law is not logic, but experience.” While law school curriculum focuses on legal doctrine, law-in-action often diverges from law-on-the-books. For instance, although civil rights laws make workplace discrimination illegal, such laws are not often enforced. This gap between law-on-the books and law-in-action has prompted social-legal scholars to examine the latter more closely. Adopting a law-in-action approach, this course examines the relationship between law and society. We will survey major theoretical perspectives and empirical studies that analyze the dynamics between law and legal institutions and their social, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Topics that will be discussed include but are not limited to: (1) concepts and theories of law and society; (2) the experiences of different actors in the legal system, particularly lawyers, judges, jurors, law enforcement agents, litigants, and citizens; (3) legal consciousness and legal culture; and (4) the relationship between law and social change.
SOCIOL 98A: Media, Society, and Social Change
Many of us begin our day by reading online news and surfing Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We follow what’s going on and what our friends are doing online. Undoubtedly, media, especially social media, are now crucial to our social, political, and cultural lives. Events around the world—from the Arab Spring to the recent American presidential election—have also shown the importance of media in bringing about social and political change. This course explores the impact of social media—how it has transformed our means of communication, social interaction, news consumption, and political action. Reviewing a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, we will examine the following questions, among others: To what extent and in what ways does social media drive political polarization? Is social media making us more or less social? How does social media help to organize collective action? Why can’t people tell fake news from real? What are the consequences of fake news?
Given my own experiences as a child growing up in a single-parent household, a first-generation college student, an international student, a minority immigrant, and a mother raising a child in a non-conventional family in a foreign country, I am well aware of the ways in which students arrive at the university from diverse backgrounds and how students' backgrounds can influence learning experiences. I value the range of perspectives and experiences students bring to the classroom and campus, while tailoring mentoring work to each student’s specific needs. The unconditional support that I received from my professors at the University of Michigan strengthens my responsibility and commitment to teaching and mentoring.
SOCIOL 2209: Qualitative Social Analysis
This course is required for and limited to first year PhD students in Sociology and Sociology/Social Policy programs, and the Sociology tracks of the Organizational Behavior doctoral programs. It is designed to provide students with an understanding of qualitative research, with a special emphasis on participant observation and interview-based research.
SOCIOL 1411: Contemporary Chinese Society
This course provides you with basic literacy to read news about and understand contemporary Chinese society—an increasingly necessary skill for informed citizens in our current global moment. No prior knowledge or language skill is needed to take this class. The point, rather, is to learn about contemporary Chinese societies together, with each person bringing their own unique perspective.
The only prerequisite is that you must be open-minded and respective of each other in class and section meetings. Sociological courses—whether focusing on domestic or international contexts—tend to highlight social problems, such as inequality and injustice. This course is no exception; as such, we will spend much time discussing the various social issues facing contemporary China.
My lectures will be organized according to a set of questions listed in the course outline. We will explore the profound transformations of the post-1978 reform period, which include: China’s transition to a market economy, the government’s introduction of population policy, urbanization, growing inequality, the emergence of civil society, the rise of contentious politics, and the Chinese state’s tightening control. The course will examine how these changes have impacted social relations, how they have been experienced and understood by Chinese people, and how, in turn, the responses of individuals have shaped the trajectory of reforms. We will also discuss some socio-political developments in Taiwan in order to understand and compare the different developmental trajectories.
Although the course is listed in the sociology catalog, readings and topics covered in the seminar are situated at the intersection of sociology, political science, law, communication studies, anthropology, and history.
SOCIOL 182: Law and Society
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote: “The life of the law is not logic, but experience.” While law school curriculum focuses on legal doctrine, law-in-action often diverges from law-on-the-books. For instance, although civil rights laws make workplace discrimination illegal, such laws are not often enforced. This gap between law-on-the books and law-in-action has prompted social-legal scholars to examine the latter more closely. Adopting a law-in-action approach, this course examines the relationship between law and society. We will survey major theoretical perspectives and empirical studies that analyze the dynamics between law and legal institutions and their social, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Topics that will be discussed include but are not limited to: (1) concepts and theories of law and society; (2) the experiences of different actors in the legal system, particularly lawyers, judges, jurors, law enforcement agents, litigants, and citizens; (3) legal consciousness and legal culture; and (4) the relationship between law and social change.
SOCIOL 98A: Media, Society, and Social Change
Many of us begin our day by reading online news and surfing Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We follow what’s going on and what our friends are doing online. Undoubtedly, media, especially social media, are now crucial to our social, political, and cultural lives. Events around the world—from the Arab Spring to the recent American presidential election—have also shown the importance of media in bringing about social and political change. This course explores the impact of social media—how it has transformed our means of communication, social interaction, news consumption, and political action. Reviewing a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, we will examine the following questions, among others: To what extent and in what ways does social media drive political polarization? Is social media making us more or less social? How does social media help to organize collective action? Why can’t people tell fake news from real? What are the consequences of fake news?
