Research Interests
The primary research puzzle that I aim to address through my research is:
"How can public administration and policymaking processes be reformed to dismantle systemic barriers and inequities that impede equitable service delivery and outcomes for low socioeconomic status individuals?"
I believe that focusing on this research question not only addresses a fundamental issue of social justice and equity, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have fair access to public services and opportunities but also has far-reaching implications for the well-being and upward mobility of low-income communities, as equitable service delivery and policymaking can help break cycles of poverty and disadvantage.
By tackling this complex research question, my research holds the potential to contribute to meaningful and transformative changes in public administration and policymaking, ultimately fostering greater social equity and improving the lives of marginalized and underserved communities.
Past and Current (Ongoing) Research Areas
Social Equity
My main research interest lies with the issues associated with social equity.
I am particularly focused on socioeconomic status (SES), or social class.
Related studies:
(Under review): "Service Equity and Citizen Satisfaction: Cross-National Evidence." with Dr. Miyeon Song and Dr. Seung Ho An.
(Under review): "Giving a Helpful Hand? Evaluating Immigration Policy, Immigrant Integration, and Social Equity Using Student Performance."
(Working paper; Dissertation Ch 1): "Representative Bureaucracy and Socioeconomic Representation: How Does Childhood Socioeconomic Background Influence Social Workers?"
(Working paper): "Budgetary Disparities in Women’s Sports: Examination of Public Budgeting on Collegiate Athletics."
(Working paper): "Socioeconomic Shadows: Does Class Background Influence State Administrators’ Attitudes and Motivations?" with Christopher Eddy and Dr. Neal D. Woods.
Representative Bureaucracy
Connecting to social equity, I am interested in finding out how bureaucrats' own socioeconomic background (both past and present) associates with the interactions they would have would their clients from the same or different SES.
Would bureaucrats have a stronger willingness, level of empathy, and intensity of effort if their clients are from the same SES group?
Related studies:
(Working paper; Dissertation Ch 1): "Representative Bureaucracy and Socioeconomic Representation: How Does Childhood Socioeconomic Background Influence Social Workers?"
(Working paper; Dissertation Ch 2): "Making Strange Bedfellows? Representative Bureaucracy and Contagion Effect Among Social Workers."
(Working paper; Dissertation Ch 3): "Exploring the Influence of Socioeconomic Background on Social Workers’ Interactions: A Qualitative Investigation"
Citizen Satisfaction
I am interested in how public services and policies are affecting citizens and whether these public goods are satisfactory to all SES.
Related works:
(Under review): "Service Equity and Citizen Satisfaction: Cross-National Evidence." with Dr. Miyeon Song and Dr. Seung Ho An.
Child-related Policies
My heart places children and their well-being in a special place. I am especially intrigued in finding whether policies that are ought to protect children are actually efficient and whether those policies are working.
Related works:
“Predictors of Child Well-Being Within Multicultural Families in Korea.” OMNES: The Journal of Multicultural Society with Dr. Robert Rudolf (2021)
"The Linkage Between Child Poverty and Family Poverty with the Paradox of Education and Remittance: A Case Study in Chiang Mai, Thailand.” International Journal of Economic Research with Dr. Komsan Suriya (2017)
(Under review): "Giving a Helpful Hand? Evaluating Immigration Policy, Immigrant Integration, and Social Equity Using Student Performance"
Mixed Methodologies
I am devoted to not only find empirical findings of a research puzzle, but also to investigate the why and how aspects to what I (anticipate to) find. I desire to seek beyond numbers and asterisks, truly attempting to find out the behind story.
Related works:
(Working paper; Dissertation Ch 3): "Exploring the Influence of Socioeconomic Background on Social Workers’ Interactions: A Qualitative Investigation"
(Working paper): "Invisible Work and Invisible Resources in Street-Level Bureaucracy: A Qualitative Study of Social Workers." with Dr. Xiaoyang Xu.
