Hi!

I am Ji-won Lee (이지원, 李志遠), a Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology at the University at Albany, State University of New York. I expect to graduate by January 2026.

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 pursue methodological pluralism, specializing in qualitative and historical analysis, with a deep interest in articulating their distinct scientific logics.

Research

Why do some efforts to get ahead deepen social divisions, while others unexpectedly foster greater solidarity?

My research investigates this fundamental tension between social mobility and social inclusion. As a sociologist, I examine how the pursuit of individual and group advantage shapes the possibilities for a more equitable society. I ask what shapes our perceptions of collective interest and how the drive for status can either reinforce exclusion or, counterintuitively, produce more egalitarian outcome

My work traces this relationship across diverse contexts, from the political history of seconadary school admission 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