John Lie

John Lie is professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. His principal academic interests are social theory, political economy, social identity, and East Asia.

Early life and education

Lie was born 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; Ph.D., Sociology). 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.

Career 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. The latest addition is "Zainichi (Koreans in Japan): Diasporic Nationalism and Postcolonial Identity".

His book titled Modern Peoplehood. sought to advance a unified theory to make sense of race, nation, ethnicity, racism, and (peoplehood) identity. To advance a general theory of race, ethnicity, and nation that avoids ethnocentrism and essentialism, he proposed a theory of "modern peoplehood".

Lie was Dean of International and Area Studies at Berkeley for five years.

In the 2010s, Lie has continued to publish books on a variety of topics, including K-pop, East Asian political economy, and Japan and the idea of sustainable society.