Chen Chih-Jou Jay

Dr. Chen Chih-Jou Jay is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, and holds joint appointments as Associate Professor at National Tsing Hua University's Institute of Sociology and Adjunct Associate Professor at National Taiwan University's Department of Sociology. He earned his PhD in Sociology from Duke University (1997) and a BA in Sociology from National Taiwan University (1988).

His research focuses on social capital, labor disputes, social unrest in China, rural development, and privatization in China. He has conducted comparative studies across Taiwan, China, and the U.S., examining topics such as job search chains, social relations, and institutional contingencies. His work explores structural and societal dynamics in East Asia, with particular attention to China's evolving social and political landscapes.

Dr. Chen has published extensively, including a monograph on rural China's property rights and edited volumes on social capital. His recent studies address labor protests, elite mobility, and public opinion on immigration policies in Taiwan. He served as a visiting scholar at the European Research Center on Contemporary Taiwan in 2013. His interdisciplinary approach bridges sociology, political science, and institutional analysis.