Biography

My main research interest is in sociological studies of ethnicity and inequality. I have been interested in the issue of immigration since my MA study in International Relations at Waseda University, Japan. My master’s thesis focuses on internal and cross-border migration of domestic workers in Thailand. Then, I continued my doctoral study at the Department of Sociology, University of Oxford and was granted a DPhil degree in 2007.
My doctoral thesis concerns interethnic unions in Britain. Based on statistical analyses of large-scale government surveys, the thesis finds that having a White British spouse could enhance labour market outcomes of ethnic minorities and educational integration of their mixed ethnic offspring. Arguing that close contacts with members of host society could increase social capital and consequently facilitate integration of members of minority ethnic groups, at the EUI, I plan to expand the scope of my study to health outcomes of intermarried ethnic minorities compared to those who are not.
Besides studying immigration and integration issues, I am also interested in policy application of sociological research. I am a research fellow for the project ‘Assessing Affirmative Action in Northern Ireland’. We employ statistical techniques to investigate whether the affirmative action programme in Northern Ireland works. Having conducted research in different topics, I developed a particular interest in empirical research. I would like to bridge theoretical work with empirical studies and draw some policy implications when applicable.