I am a Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR). See the rest of the Sociology team.

My research interests include ethnic identity, race and mixed race, racisms, migration (in its many forms) and the immigrant second generation.

I have been actively involved in the British, European, and North American research networks, including IMISCOE (International Migration, Integration, and Social Cohesion, a European Network of Excellence) and the American Sociological Association.

I am a member of the editorial board of the journal Ethnic and Racial Studies, the journal Identities and IMISCOE, which conducts research on migration and its many related fields. I’m also a member of the Runnymede Trust’s academic advisory board.

Career

I joined SSPSSR in October 1995, as I was completing my PhD at the London School of Economics.

Education

I completed my PhD at the London School of Economics, my MSW at the University of Wisconsin and my BA at Harvard University.

Find me:

On Academia 

Books

• (forthcoming) monograph (with Peter Aspinall) “Mixed Race Identities”, (Palgrave/Macmillan 2012).
• “International Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Mixedness and Mixing” (co-edited with S. Ali, C. Caballero, R. Edwards), (Routledge 2012).
• “Choosing Ethnic Identity” (Polity 2003).
• “Helping Out: Children's Labor in Ethnic Businesses” (Temple University Press 1999).
• “Rethinking 'Mixed Race’” (co-edited with David Parker) (Pluto Press 2001).

Journal articles

• Miri Song & Peter Aspinall, ‘Is racial mismatch a problem for mixed race young people in Britain?’, Ethnicities 2012.
• ‘Making sense of “mixture”: states and the classification of “mixed” people’, Ethnic and Racial Studies 35, 2012.
• ‘Part of the British mainstream? British Muslim students and Islamic Student Associations’,  Journal of Youth Studies 2012.
• Miri Song & Ferhana Hashem, What does “white” mean? Interpreting the choice of “race” by mixed race young people in Britain’, Sociological Perspectives, vol. 53, no. 2. 2010. 
• ‘Is there a mixed race group in Britain? The diversity of multiracial identification and experience’, Critical Social Policy, vol. 30 (3) August.
• ‘Does “race” matter? A study of mixed race siblings’ identifications’,  Sociological Review, vol. 58, no. 2, May, 2010.
•  ‘What happens after segmented assimilation?’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 33 (7), July 2010.
•  2009 ‘Is intermarriage a good indicator of integration?’, Journal of Ethnic and Migrant Studies, 35 (2): 331-348 (with David Parker) (2009). 
• ‘New ethnicities and the internet: belonging and the negotiation of difference in multicultural Britain’, Cultural Studies, vol. 23 (4): 583-604 (with David Parker) 2007.
• ‘Inclusion, participation and the emergence of British Chinese websites’, Journal of Ethnic and Migrant Studies, vol. 33 (7): 1043-1061. 2007.
• ‘S’opposer a l’invisibilite publique: l’emergence des sites internet sino-britanniques’, Migrations-Societe, vol. 19, no. 113, Septembre-Octobre,149-168. (with David Parker) (2006).
• ‘New Ethnicities Online: Reflexive Racialisation and the Internet’, The Sociological Review, vol. 54, no. 3, August, pp. 575-94 (with David Parker) (2006).
• ‘Ethnicity, social capital and the Internet’, Ethnicities, vol. 6 (2), June, 2006, 178-202.
• ‘When the ‘global chain’ does not lead to satisfaction all round: a comment on the Morecambe Bay tragedy’, Feminist Review, vol. 77, August, 2004, 137-140.
• ‘Who’s at the bottom? Examining claims about racial hierarchy’ in Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 27, no. 6, November, 2004, 859-877.
• ‘Why aren’t the Chinese Black in Britain? Some thoughts on “integration” and “social exclusion”’, in KOLOR, vol. 3, no. 2, Antwerp, Belgium, 2004, 3-18.
• 'Comparing minorities' ethnic options: do Asian Americans possess "more" ethnic options than African Americans?', Ethnicities, vol. 1, no. 1, April, 2001, 57-82.
• 'Children's labour in ethnic family businesses: the case of Chinese take-aways in Britain', Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 20, No. 4.,  October, 1997, 690-716.
• '"You're becoming more and more English": Chinese siblings' cultural identities', New Community, Vol. 23, No. 3, July, 1997, 343-62 (with Ros Edwards).
• 'Comment: raising questions about perspectives on black lone motherhood', Vol. 26, No. 2. Journal of Social Policy, 1997, 233-244.
• 'Changing conceptualizations of lone parenthood in Britain: lone parents or single mums?', European Journal of Women's Studies, Vol.3, No.4, 1996, 377-97 (with David Parker).
•  'Commonality, difference and the dynamics of disclosure in in-depth interviewing', Sociology, Vol.29, No.2, 1995, 241-56.
• 'Between "the front" and "the back": Chinese women's family and work experiences', Women's Studies International Forum, Vol.18, No.3, 1995, 258-98.

Chapters

• ’The changing configuration of migration and race’  in (eds) S. Gold & S. Nawyn, Handbook of Migration, Routledge (forthcoming).
• ‘The politics of mixed race’, in (eds) J. Solomos & K. Murji, Theories in Race and Ethnic Relations, Routledge (forthcoming).
• ‘Mixed race siblings and racial identification’, in (ed) M. Klett-Davies, Putting Sibling Relationships on the Map, Family and Parenting Institute, 2008, p.82-97, 978-1-903615-67-6.
• ‘Who are the British Chinese? An emerging sense of public identity via internet websites’, in (eds) Lucienne Germain et Didier Lassalle (dir.), Communauté(s), Communautarime(s): Aspects Comparatifs, Paris : L'Harmattan, 2008, p. 205-223, 978-2-296-05366-3.
• ‘Globalization and Gender’, in  Handbook of Gender and Women’s Studies,  (eds.) K. Davis, M. Evans, & J. Lorber, Sage, 2006, p.185-195, 13 978-0-7619-4390-7.
• ‘Racial Hierarchies in the USA and Britain: investigating a politically sensitive issue’, in Researching Race and Racism (eds.) M. Bulmer and J. Solomos, Routledge, 2004, p.172-186, 0-415-30089-4.
• ‘Global and local articulations of Asian identity’, in Making Race Matter, (eds.) Caroline Knowles and Claire Alexander, Palgrave, 2004, p. 60-75, 978-1-4039-04313-3.
• (with David Parker) 'Introduction: Rethinking "Mixed Race"', in Rethinking 'Mixed Race', Pluto Press, 2001, p.1-22, 0-7453-1572-0.
• 'Chinese children's work roles in immigrant adaptation', in (eds.) P. Mizen, C. Pole, & A. Bolton, Hidden Hands: International Perspectives on Children's Work and Labour, Falmer Press, 2001, p. 55-69, 0-415-24243-6.
• (with Ros Edwards and Simon Duncan) 'Social threat or social problem? Media representations of lone parents and policy implications', in (ed.) Bob Franklin, Social Policy, the Media and Misrepresentation, Routledge, 1999, p. 238-252, 0-415-20106-3.
• 'Class and trans-national identities: a Korean-American woman in England', in Christine Zmroczek and Pat Mahony (eds.)Women and Class, Taylor & Francis, 1999, p. 212-226, 1-85728-929-3.
• 'Hearing competing voices: sibling research', in Ros Edwards and Jane Ribbens (eds.) Feminist Dilemmas in Qualitative Research, Sage, 1998, 103-118, 0-7619-5664-6.
• '"Helping out": young people's labor participation in Chinese take-away businesses in Britain', in J. Brannen and M. O'Brien (eds.) Children in Families, Falmer Press, 1996, p.101-113, 0-7507-0476-4.

 

Research interests

My research interests include ethnic identity, race and mixed race, racisms, migration (in its many forms) and the immigrant second generation.

Recent

• PI for a Leverhume research grant: 'Multiracial Parents' Classification of their Children', £113,749. This project will commence September 2012 and will run until March 2015.
• From October 2008 to September 2010, I was one of seven partners in a four-country comparative project  (led by Karen Phalet, ERCOMER, Utrecht University) on the NORFACE project “Ethnic identity and religious mobilisation of the European second generation: comparing Muslim youth in multicultural cities”.

  As the partner for Britain, I carried out the case study of Muslim youth in London. In particular, I studied the aims and organization of ISOCs – Islamic Student Associations in British universities. An article based on this research has been published in the Journal of Youth Studies in 2012.

• Between 2006 and 2008, I completed an ESRC funded project “The ethnic options of ‘mixed race’ people in Britain” (with Peter Aspinall, and Ferhana Hashem, both of CHSS, University of Kent).

  A key aim of this research was to examine the “ethnic options” of different types of “mixed race” people, such as people with black/white, south Asian/white, Chinese/white, and “minority mix” heritage. This project employed both a survey and a sub-sample for in-depth interviews. Various articles based upon this research have appeared in the journals Critical Social Policy, Sociological Review, Sociological Perspectives,Ethnic and Racial Studies, and Anthropology Today. A book, Mixed Race Identities, is currently being written on the basis of these findings. 

• Between September 2006 and March 2008, I completed (with David Parker, University of Nottingham) another ESRC funded project, “British Chinese identities online: inclusion and participation”.

  This project explored the emergence of British Chinese websites, and the online and offline implications of these sites for the social and political integration and participation of British Chinese people. Various articles were published in Sociological Review, Ethnicities, Cultural Studies, and Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 

• I was one of the co-organizers of the ESRC Seminar series: “Thinking about mixedness and mixing: international and interdisciplinary dialogue”, (with Ros Edwards, Suki Ali, and Chamion Caballero). Four seminars were held between December 2008 and March 2010. A co-edited volume is out in 2012: International Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Mixedness and Mixing (Routledge).

Supervision

I welcome independent motivated students. If you have a proposal within my research interest areas and would like to study at the University of Kent, please email me to discuss further.

PhD students I have supervised:

• Myria Vassiliadou – PhD (1st supervisor) ‘A struggle for independence: attitudes and practices of the women of Cyprus’, passed
• Wilasinee Phiphitkul – PhD (1st and sole supervisor) ‘The politics of representations: Thai migrant women’s negotiation of identity’, passed
• Yumiko Nishimuta – PhD (1st and sole supervisor) ‘Coping with racism: Japanese students’ experiences of racist encounters in Britain’, passed
• Mitsu Horii – PhD (1st and sole supervisor) ‘De-professionalisation of Buddhist priests: a sociological study of  Nichiren Buddhist priests in contemporary Japan’, passed
• Mai Phan – PhD (1st and sole supervisor) ‘Conflict, learning, and change: dynamics of policymaking in anti-discrimination legislations in Canada and Britain – passed with minor corrections
• Anika Haverig – PhD (1st and sole supervisor) ‘British and German policy responses to Muslims and multiculturalism’ (passed with minor corrections)
• Trude Sundberg – PhD (second supervisor) ‘Attitudes toward welfare in European countries’ (ongoing)
• Palinda Raminglong – PhD (joint supervisor) (ongoing)

Current
I convene the undegraduate module, SO537: Racism. I also offer an MA option in Sociology (Race, Difference, and Belonging).

Past

I have convened various undergraduate modules over the years, including ‘Race and Ethnic Identity’, and ‘Globalisation and Social Change’. I have also taught on ‘Sociology of Everyday Life’, ‘Concepts and Theories’, and ‘Research Methods’.

Editorial

• Editorial board member, Ethnic and Racial Studies.
• Editorial board member, Identities.
• Editorial board member of  IMISCOE (International Migration, Integration, and Social Cohesion, a European Network of Excellence).

Memberships

• American Sociological Association: Council member, section on Asia and Asian America, 2000-2003.
• Runnymede Trust, Academic Advisory Board.
• Member of IMISCOE.
• Associate of Centre for Urban and Community Research, Goldsmiths College.

External examining

• External examiner for Goldsmiths College – Department of Sociology (2010 to 2012).
• PhD external examiner: UCL, London, November (2006); LSE (March 2008). Goldsmiths, July (2010); Roehampton University, May (2011).

Advisory work

• Advisory committee member: JRF project ‘Parenting mixed heritage children’, directed by Professor Rosalind Edwards, South Bank University, March 2006 to 2008.

Referee work

• Assessor: ESRC, Leverhume, JRF research proposals
• Article referee for:
  • Ethnic and Racial Studies
  • Identities
  • American Journal of Sociology
  • Sociological Perspectives     
  • Ethnicities
  • Journal of Ethnic and Migrant Studies
  • Sociological Review
  • British Journal of Sociology
  • Childhood
  • The European Journal of Women's Studies

Media work

• Interviewed and cited by The China Daily, February 2012.
• Interviewed and cited by The Sunday Times, 2010, on ‘Mixed race families’.
• Interviewed by BBC Radio 4, June 11, 2008, ‘Brother mine’, a documentary about siblings from different perspectives.
• Cited in Times online (by David Aronovitch) on the ‘mixed race’ project (November 11,2008).
• Interviewed & cited by Hong Kong paper (2007) on British Chinese young people.
• Interviewed & cited by Times newspaper (2006) on British Chinese families.
• Interviewed by BBC world service on research on ‘mixed race’, aired April, 2005.