SMU School of Social Sciences

China isn’t usually seen as a refugee host, but from 1949–1982 it took in 320,000+ displaced people, mainly ethnic Chinese from Southeast Asia. Asst Prof Jiaqi Liu’s research shows how China redefined “refugee” and “return” to fit political goals. link.springer.com/article/10.118…

A recent study published by SMU Psychology PhD candidate Frosch Quek, Asst Prof Kenneth Tan and Prof David Chan found that for those with lower overall life satisfaction, fluctuations in life satisfactions actually boosted physical health. doi.org/10.1111/aphw.7…

Wishing everyone a happy Deepavali! 🪔 May the Festival of Lights bring happiness, prosperity, and peace to you and your loved ones. ✨

Associate Professor Yasmin Ortiga co-authored a study that shows how Filipina domestic workers from the same province tend to follow the same migration routes towards Hong Kong. Read here: doi.org/10.1177/019791…

Is it a mistake to feel shame when we are evaluated by others whose standards we reject? In this paper Asst Prof Brandon Yip suggests that sometimes such shame can be fitting and right. Read more: scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/apq/articl…

We’re proud to share that SOSS Asst Prof of Psychology Sarah Shi Hui Wong’s research has been featured as the cover article in the Journal of Educational Psychology and selected for the APA Editor’s Choice by the American Psychological Association! 🎉 doi.org/10.1037/edu000…

Asst Prof Lester Sim’s latest study of 5,000 adults in the U.S. and Japan found that singles reported lower health and life satisfaction than married adults — but cultural context makes a difference. Read his latest article here: dx.doi.org/10.1111/pere.7…

We’re excited to share that Asst Prof Patrick Quinton-Brown has won the 2025 Sussex International Theory Prize for his book 'Intervention before Interventionism: A Global Genealogy'! 🎉 Congrats, Prof!

In "Constraints without Tears for Consequentialists", Associate Professor Matthew Hammerton takes on recent critiques of agent-relative consequentialism—an approach that uses consequentialist tools to capture deontological constraints. Read more: rdcu.be/eAEZq

📢 SOSS Insights | Issue 10 The latest issue of SOSS Insights is now available! Explore key research highlights and achievements from the School of Social Sciences. 🔗 Read more: socsc.smu.edu.sg/sites/socsc.sm…

🎧 What does it really mean to live a good life? In this episode of the CBmE&U podcast, Dr. Matthew Hammerton explores happiness, well-being, and what makes life meaningful. buzzsprout.com/2384633/episod…

🎉 Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Political Science, Nathan Peng, for being awarded the Best Paper Award for Early-Career Scholar Work by the East Asian Social Policy Network! We’re incredibly proud to celebrate this achievement with you. 🥳 #sgSMU #sgSMUSOSS

🎉 We’re thrilled to share that Assistant Prof Beomgeun Cho has received the inaugural Kyujin Jung Memorial Research Award at the 2025 ASPA Conference! The award recognises outstanding early-career scholars in public administration — a well-deserved honour for Prof Cho!

AI is reshaping our world—but it can also reinforce gender bias in hiring, education & healthcare. Fixing this means better data, fairer algorithms & strong policies. It takes teamwork across tech & policy. Read more by Assoc Prof Andree Hartanto: sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Leading with vision: SMU SOSS Dean Professor Kenneth Benoit is championing an interdisciplinary future for social sciences. From AI ethics to sustainability, SMU SOSS Dean Professor Kenneth Benoit believes complex issues require more than one lens. 🔗 research.smu.edu.sg/news/2025/may/…

Is it a mistake to center your life on work?💼❓ In this post, Assoc Prof Matthew Hammerton discusses ideas from his recent article where he explores the phenomenon of people who make work their primary source of meaning. Read more: 🔗 justice-everywhere.org/general/whats-…

🎓🎉 Congratulations to Associate Professor of Psychology Tsai Ming Hong on receiving the 2025 NCMR Paper of the Year Award! 🔗 Read the paper: doi.org/10.34891/y2w2-…

🎉 Congrats to Lain Shae Goh, our 1st-year Psychology student, on having 2 papers accepted at the APA Annual Conference! 🌈 Psychological Intersections in Queer Physical Spaces 🔍 Operationalising Intersectionality in Psychology: SPLICE-ing it up! We wish you all the best! 👏

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! 🌙✨ Wishing everyone a joyous and blessed celebration with your loved ones. May this festive season bring you happiness, peace, and togetherness.

Does flexible work truly empower women? SMU Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr Cheng Cheng and her team uncover a surprising reality: while flexible work promises freedom, it may be silently reshaping gender roles in ways we didn’t expect. Read more: cityperspectives.smu.edu.sg/article/gender…