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Professor Chan, Cheris Shun Ching 陳純菁

Title:
Associate Professor

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Professor Chan, Cheris Shun Ching 陳純菁

Title:
Associate Professor

Also Cited As:
Chan, C

Short Biography:

Cheris Chan received her PhD in sociology from Northwestern University in 2004. Before joining HKU, she was an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh. She was also a fellow of the Summer Institute on Economy and Society from the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and a recipient of a global fellowship from the International Institute of UCLA.

Her writings have appeared in American Journal of Sociology, British Journal of Sociology,Theory and Society, Social Psychology Quarterly, International Sociology, and The China Quarterly among others. Some of her articles have received prizes from the American Sociological Association.

Chan’s first book, Marketing Death: Culture and the Making of a Life Insurance Market in China, won two awards and one honorable mention from the American Sociological Association and from the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Based on extensive ethnographic research, the book analyzes the role of culture in shaping the trajectory and features of a new market. It details how the Chinese cultural taboo on the discussion of premature death affects the organizational strategies of transnational and domestic life insurance firms. This project was subsequently expanded to include Hong Kong and Taiwan’s markets for a comparative analysis, examining how culture and the local state together shape transnational corporations’ business strategies.

Chan’s current project focuses on hospital care in urban China. Three major themes emerge from her ongoing fieldwork: (1) the moral economy of informal payment and social network in gaining access to quality medical care; (2) doctor-patient relation and the professional authority of physicians in China; (3) the rationalization and legitimacy of Chinese medicine in China.

Professional Qualifications
YearAwarding InstitutionQualification
2004Northwestern UniversityPh.D in Sociology
1994The Chinese University of Hong KongM.Phil. in Sociology
1990The University of Hong KongBSW in Social Work
Honours, Awards & Prizes
AwardeesAward DateHonours / Awards / PrizesCategory
2006-07-01Summer Institute Fellowship: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
Research Achievement
2013-08-01Honorable Mention for the W. Richard Scott Award for Distinguished Scholarship: American Sociological Association’s Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work
Research Achievement
2006-09-01Faculty Fellowship: University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh
Research Achievement
2011-08-01Best Scholarly Article Award: American Sociology Association’s Section on Global and Transnational Sociology
Research Achievement
2007-06-01Global Fellowship: International Institute, University of California at Los Angeles
Research Achievement
2013-08-01Book Award for books in Asian Studies: American Sociological Association’s Section on Asia and Asian America
Research Achievement
2012-06-01The Best Book on Globalization Award: The Global Division of the Society for the Study of Social Problems
Research Achievement
2010-11-01Research Output Prize for the Faculty of Social Sciences: University of Hong Kong’s Outstanding Researcher Awards Scheme
Research Achievement
2001-06-01International Dissertation Field Research Fellowship: Social Science Research Council in the USA
Research Achievement
2013-08-01Honorable Mention for Mary Douglas Prize for Best Book in the Sociology of Culture: American Sociological Association’s Section on Culture
Research Achievement
2003-06-01Alumnae Dissertation Fellowship Award: Northwestern University
Research Achievement
2011-08-01Best Scholarly Publication by an International Scholar Award: American Sociology Association’s Section on Global and Transnational Sociology
Research Achievement
2003-02-01Graduate student paper competition (2nd place): Society for the Studey of Social Problems Conflict, Social Action, and Change Division
Research Achievement
2005-09-01Faculty Research Scholarship: School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
Research Achievement
2011-08-01Honorable Mention for Viviana Zelizer Distinguished Scholarship Award: American Sociology Association’s Section on Economic Sociology
Research Achievement
2002-02-01Scholarship Development Award: Midwest Sociological Society
Research Achievement
Professional Societies
Term PeriodPositionProfessional Societies
1/2011 - presentmemberEuropean Sociological Association
3/2011book proposal reviewerRoutledge
6/2000 - presentmemberAssociation for Asian Studies
5/2010Co-organizer of lecturesHong Kong Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences
9/2011-8/2012Granovetter Prize Selection Committee MemberEconomic Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association
9/2013 - 8/2014Zelizer Book Prize Selection CommitteeEconomic Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association
6/2010manuscript reviewerBritish Journal of Sociology
5/2005, 11/2006, 4/2007manuscript reviewerTheory, Culture and Society
4/2012manuscript reviewerInternational Studies Review
6/2012manuscript reviewerSociological Forum
11/2006, 6/2008, 1/2011, 4/2012, 10/2013manuscript reviewerSocial Psychology Quarterly
2/2012manuscript reviewerChinese Sociological Review
9/2008manuscript reviewerTaiwanese Sociology
12/2010panel chairInternational Conference on Urban Representations in Hong Kong, Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
9/2008 - presentmemberHong Kong Sociological Association
10/2004manuscript reviewerJournal of Consumer Culture
8/2006manuscript reviewerAmerican Sociological Review
9/2013 - 8/2014Mary Douglas Book Award CommitteeSociology of Culture Section of the American Sociological Association
5/2010manuscript reviewerTheory and Society
6/2002 - presentmemberInternational Sociological Association
1/2013 - presentmemberInternational Network for Social Network Analysis
6/1999 - presentmemberAmerican Sociological Association
4/2010manuscript reviewerModern China
10/2010manuscript reviewerSociological Perspectives
1/2011 - presentmemberSociety for the Advancement of Socio-Economics
4/2012, 2/2013manuscript reviewerSocio-economic Review
8/2004, 3/2007, 11/2009, 12/2011, 4/2012, 1/2014manuscript reviewerAmerican Journal of Sociology
1/2011 - presentmemberSocial Science History Association
9/2012-8/2013Best Book on Globalization Award CommitteeGlobal Division of the Society for the Study of Social Problems
11/2012, 5/2014manuscript reviewerChina Quarterly
5/2011panelForum on China's Model of Development, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Hong Kong
1/2014manuscript reviewerQualitative Sociology
Media Contact Directory
Area of Expertise:
Area of Expertise (EN)Area of Expertise (ZH)
Qualitative methods質性研究方法
Economic sociology經濟社會學
Culture and globalization文化與全球化問題
Cultural sociology文化社會學
Contemporary Chinese society當代中國社會
Spoken Languages:
Spoken Language(s) (EN)Spoken Language(s) (ZH)
English, Cantonese, Putonghua英語、粵語、普通話
Written Languages:
Written Language(s) (EN)Written Language(s) (ZH)
English, Chinese英文、中文
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