Ke-hsien Huang (Shawn)

KeHsienHuang2013@u.northwestern.edu
Advisor: C. Chen

Areas of Interest

Sociology of Religion, Sociology of Culture, Microsociology, Global Pentecostalism, Emotional Work

Current Research

My dissertational research is about Pentecostalism in contemporary China, specifically churches adhering to the True Jesus Church (TJC) tradition—an allegedly largest and long- standing sectarian Pentecostalism in China. I aim to demonstrate how Pentecostal churches confront, adjust, and challenge the unfolding modernity in the era of Chinese economic reform. Examining this process on the micro level via ethnographic work, my research focuses on the mundane practices informed by the faith. Moreover, in order to move beyond the dichotomy between rural and urban Christianity, I adopt a relational approach to investigate how believers engage themselves in boundary-making work against other Christians and their rural/urban counterparts. This helps my research to contextualize the Pentecostalism in transition in the salient urban-rural divide of the Chinese society, and I am particularly interested in how rural Pentecostals police and defend their identity and honor the tradition by drawing moral and spiritual boundaries against their educated, wealthier, urban counterparts who might stigmatize rural ones as superstitious and lacking quality (Suzhi.) I plan to do more ethnography in rural and urban China in 2011.

Awards/Honors

Sociology Research Fellowship, Sociology Department, Northwestern University, spring, 2011

Graduate Student Summer Research Award, The Roberta Buffett Center for International and Comparative Studies, Northwestern University, 2010

Best Thesis Award (biannually), Taiwanese Sociological Association, 2005

Master Thesis Fellowship, Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, 2004

Mr. Long, Guan-Hai Paper Award, Sociology Department, National Taiwan University, 2004

William Henry Exum Award

The intent of this prize is to honor the memory of William Henry Exum, a member of the Department of Sociology and the African American Studies Department, who died in 1986 at the age of 37. Exum was concerned with the quality of writing and research analysis in student papers. He was also interested in racial problems facing minority youths in higher education. This award was established as a means of continuing his goals of breaking barriers for all minorities.

The award submission deadline is April 27, 2012. All interested students should submit a 15-20 page paper, typed and double-spaced, on a topic dealing with race and ethnicity. Students are not limited to a sociological approach in preparing their submissions, nor is the award limited to sociology or social science majors.

The paper should include a cover sheet with the student's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, year in school, and major.

Three copies of the essay must be submitted by the announced deadline to the Exum Award - Department of Sociology, 1810 Chicago Ave., Evanston Campus or one copy by email to sociol@northwestern.edu.

This award is open to all undergraduate students from all disciplines.

Upcoming Events

COLLOQUIUM: Myra Marx Ferree, Sociology, University of WI-Madison
May 17, 2012 • 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Culture and Society Workshop
May 17, 2012 • 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM