Hi!

I am Ji-won Lee (이지원, 李志遠), a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University at Albany, State University of New York.

As a political and economic sociologist, I focus on the processes of reform, development, and status-group politics as key sites where social inequality is contested and reproduced.

I am committed to methodological pluralism, specializing in qualitative and historical analysis with a deep interest in articulating their distinct scientific logics.

Research

Why do certain pursuits of social mobility deepen divisions, while others foster unexpected solidarity?

My research investigates the fundamental tension between mobility and inclusion, examining how the drive for individual and group advantage shapes the prospects for an equitable society. I explore the mechanisms that define our collective interest and the conditions under which the quest for status can, counterintuitively, produce more egalitarian outcomes.

My work traces this relationship across diverse contexts, from the political history of seconadary school access reform in postwar South Korea (my dissertation project), to the diverging attitudes of Asian American groups toward race-conscious admissions (Sociology of Race and Ethnicity), and the competing nationalist discourses on anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic (*Sociological Perspectives, Sociological Inquiry*).

Translation

I am currently working on translating the methodological discussion in US sociology (e.g., Qualitative Literacy) into the context of Korean society. Additionally, I am working on reconstructing the hidden and scattered methodological traditions in South Korean qualitative sociology.

Community-Building

I have been involved with several academic community-building efforts, including the Problem-Solving Sociology network, the Association of Korean Sociologists in America (AKSA), and the two organizations under the umbrella of the American Sociological Association (ASA): the Korean Sociologists in America (KSA) Community (KSA) and the Sociology of Development Section. If you have any interest in or questions about any of these initiatives, please let me know.

Contacts

📧 Email: [email protected] | [email protected]

🔎 Google Scholar: Profile

🗄️ Orchid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5778-9469