Eugena Kwon
Assistant Professor
Eugena Kwon, Assistant Professor
B.A., M.A., Ph.D. (Western University)
Otonabee College 227, eugenakwon@trentu.ca
Classes I teach at Trent:
- SOCI3151H: Practicing Social Research
- SOCI2340H: Work and Social Inequalities
- SOCI4620H: Adv Studies in Social Policy
My research interests include:
- international migration (e.g., post-migration integration and settlement experiences of immigrants and international students);
- sociology of work and occupations;
- gender and professions; and
- population health and well-being.
My current or recent projects include:
I am currently a Principal Investigator of two SSHRC-funded projects (Partnership Engage Grant & Insight Development Grant).
“The changing nature of work and learning in the COVID-19 era and the impact on international students’ health and well-being.” SSHRC-PEG: $24,038.20.
Through SSHRC-PEG, my interdisciplinary team focuses on providing insight into international students’ challenges, concerns, and health and well-being in the midst of unprecedented academic and career uncertainty. Furthermore, this research will examine international students’ school-to-work transition experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic - to understand how this may impact their future pathways to permanent residency. This project is in partnership with a community organization EduNova.
“The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on international students’ school-to-work transition and pathways to permanent residency.” SSHRC-IDG: $50,388.
The objective of this SSHRC-IDG is to examine how international students are planning and navigating their school-to-work transition during the pandemic, and what supports they are receiving from their post-secondary institution, community, and government. Lastly, this project considers how these may impact graduating international students’ decision to stay in Canada, and whether they will consider applying for permanent residency in the future. Overall, the goal of this project is to identify international students’ immediate needs and help relevant stakeholders respond with an adequate support system for international students in a timely manner. Please visit our project website for further details (https://www.nsisproject.ca/).
I am also actively engaged in several other collaborative, interdisciplinary projects. My projects are funded by various funding agencies (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC), and I currently hold approximately $780,000 of external grants through multiple projects (both as a principal investigator & as co-investigator).
In addition to the above projects, my earlier line of research examined the gender inequalities that women in the professions experienced at the intersection of race/ethnicity and immigrant status. Professional work, and the organizations in which it takes place, are not only gendered, but also racialized, and further shaped by other dimensions of inequality such as immigrant status. Taking an intersectional approach, this research focused on how the challenges experienced by women in professions may be further exacerbated for women of racial/ethnic minority and immigrant backgrounds.
My other line of research continues to expand on my research interest in inequalities experienced by those of racial/ethnic minority and immigrant backgrounds, but in a new direction. This research focused on examining the structural challenges and barriers that shape immigrants’ post-migration food choices in Canada. This research focused on shedding new insights on how the challenges of immigrant integration are exacerbated by gender, race/ethnicity, and class – and its implications for their post-migration food choices and the inequalities that shape the way they engage in a healthy lifestyle.
Five publication that exemplify my work:
2021 Kwon, Eugena and Tracey Adams. “Feeding the Canadian Immigrant Family: An Intersectional Approach to Meal Preparation among Immigrant Families in Ontario." Food, Culture & Society.
2020 Sano, Yujiro, Roger Antabe†, Eugena Kwon, Kilian Nasung Atuoye†, Florence Anfaara†, Isaac Luginaah. “Disparities in Physical Activity Descriptive Norms: The Case of Immigrants and Racial/Ethnic Minorities in New York City.” International Journal of Health Promotion and Education. 1-11.
2019 Adams, Tracey and Eugena Kwon. “Not that many female med students want to pursue surgery: Gender, ethnicity and the life course in medical students’ specialty choices.” Gender, Age and Inequality in the Professions: Exploring the Disordering, Disruptive and Chaotic Properties of Communication. Routledge Studies on Gender and Organizations.
2018 Kwon, Eugena and Tracey Adams. “Choosing a Specialty: Intersections of Gender and Race among Asian and White Women Medical Students in Ontario.” Canadian Ethnic Studies. 50(3).
2017 Kwon, Eugena. “For passion or for future family? Exploring factors influencing career and family choices of female medical students and residents.” Gender Issues. 34(2), 186-200.
What achievements and/or contributions in research are you most proud of?
As a sociologist, my priority is to conduct research which can inform future policies surrounding international migration & population health and well-being – to make a meaningful academic and social impact. As such, my work involves close collaboration with community partners. I am proud that I was able to secure external funding to start on projects that could later be used to make a tangible impact to the community. In particular, I am most proud of my recent projects on international students. I hope that the findings can help to better understand their needs so that adequate support system can be provided to them.