John Lie
Encyclopedia
John Lie is Class of 1959 Professor of sociology
and Dean
of International and Area Studies at the University of California, Berkeley
. His principal academic interests are social theory
, political economy
, social identity
, and East Asia
.
Lie was born in 1959 in Seoul, South Korea. He grew up in Tokyo, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from Punahou School
, he attended Harvard University
(A.B., Social Studies, 1982; Ph.D., Sociology, 1988). He has held tenured appointments at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the University of Michigan
, as well as holding visiting appointments at Yonsei University
, Keio University
, Harvard University
, and other institutions.
Lie's "sociological imagination" trilogy explores the intersection of biography, history, and social structure by analyzing his Korean diasporic experience. The trilogy comprises Blue Dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles Riots, Han Unbound: The Political Economy of South Korea, and Multiethnic Japan. These books have transformed our understanding of topics ranging from ethnic conflict and economic growth to the nature of contemporary Japense society. The latest addition is "Zainichi (Koreans in Japan): Diasporic Nationalism and Postcolonial Identity." He is a widely cited and quoted authority on the Korean diaspora.
Perhaps his most important book to date is Modern Peoplehood. It seeks to advance a unified theory to make sense of race, nation, ethnicity, racism, and (peoplehood) identity. By advancing a general theory of race, ethnicity, and nation that avoids ethnocentrism and essentialism, his theory of "modern peoplehood" promises to advance the current impasse of social-scientific discussion on these topics.
Lie joined the UC Berkely faculty in 2003. He was appointed Dean of International and Area Studies in July 2004. In that capacity, he has been at the forefront of globalizing the university.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of International and Area Studies at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. His principal academic interests are social theory
Social theory
Social theories are theoretical frameworks which are used to study and interpret social phenomena within a particular school of thought. An essential tool used by social scientists, theories relate to historical debates over the most valid and reliable methodologies , as well as the primacy of...
, political economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
, social identity
Social identity
A social identity is the portion of an individual's self-concept derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group. As originally formulated by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the 1970s and 80s, social identity theory introduced the concept of a social identity as a way in which to...
, and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
.
Lie was born in 1959 in Seoul, South Korea. He grew up in Tokyo, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
, he attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(A.B., Social Studies, 1982; Ph.D., Sociology, 1988). He has held tenured appointments at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, as well as holding visiting appointments at Yonsei University
Yonsei University
Yonsei University is a Christian private research university, located in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1885, it is one of the oldest universities in South Korea, the top private comprehensive universities in South Korea, and is widely regarded as one of the top three comprehensive...
, Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and other institutions.
Lie's "sociological imagination" trilogy explores the intersection of biography, history, and social structure by analyzing his Korean diasporic experience. The trilogy comprises Blue Dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles Riots, Han Unbound: The Political Economy of South Korea, and Multiethnic Japan. These books have transformed our understanding of topics ranging from ethnic conflict and economic growth to the nature of contemporary Japense society. The latest addition is "Zainichi (Koreans in Japan): Diasporic Nationalism and Postcolonial Identity." He is a widely cited and quoted authority on the Korean diaspora.
Perhaps his most important book to date is Modern Peoplehood. It seeks to advance a unified theory to make sense of race, nation, ethnicity, racism, and (peoplehood) identity. By advancing a general theory of race, ethnicity, and nation that avoids ethnocentrism and essentialism, his theory of "modern peoplehood" promises to advance the current impasse of social-scientific discussion on these topics.
Lie joined the UC Berkely faculty in 2003. He was appointed Dean of International and Area Studies in July 2004. In that capacity, he has been at the forefront of globalizing the university.
Publications
- Nancy Abelmann and John Lie. Blue Dreams: Korean Americans and the Los Angeles Riots. 1995. ISBN 978-0674077058 http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/ABEBLU.html?show=reviews
- Lie. Han Unbound: The Political Economy of South Korea. Stanford University Press. 1998. ISBN 978-0804740159 http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=682
- Lie. Multiethnic Japan. Harvard University Press. 2001. ISBN 978-0674013582 http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/LIEMUL.html
- Lie. Modern Peoplehood. Harvard University Press. 2004. ISBN 978-0674013278 http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/LIEMOD.html
- Lie. Zainichi (Koreans in Japan): Diasporic Nationalism and Postcolonial Identity. University of California Press, 2008. http://repositories.cdlib.org/gaia/gaia_books/10/
External links
- International and Area Studies Dean's Office, University of California, Berkeley