Yu-Ju Chien

My research interests mainly focus on issues related to agriculture and aquaculture farming, disease prevention, and the relationship between humans and animals. Building upon my doctoral dissertation on how international agencies negotiated global avian influenza policies, I continue to investigate complex governance problems, specifically issues related to multiple-species interactions. My research findings include studies on pigeon racing, avian influenza governance, antibiotic use in livestock farming, crises in the oyster industry, constructions of the idea of “pet parenthood,” and how the agricultural sector responds to challenges from invasive species, among many others.

I attempt to understand the institutional contexts, market structures, or cultural perceptions within which actors interact and respond, and how people are affected by them. I seek to explain how taken-for-granted standards, values, institutions, and rules are established and their effects. By revealing power dynamics and possibilities for change, I hope to contribute to the development of relevant governance policies.

My research draws insights from science and technology studies, economic sociology, and sociology of knowledge. I aspire to foster dialogues between the humanities and natural sciences by enriching discussions on health, care, environmental justice, animal welfare, sustainability, and seeking possibilities for a more harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Education

Ph. D in Sociology, University of Minnesota（2013）

Employment

Associate Professor, Department of Sociology at National Taiwan University

• Welsh, Rick; Chien, Yu-Ju; Traub, Adrianne; Glenna, Leland. 2021. “Plant Science and Intellectual Property Protections in Taiwan.”  Rural Sociology 86(4): 864-885.
• Yu-Ju Chien. 2021. “Challenges in ‘Translation’ for Technology Transfer: Artificial Oyster Propagation in Taiwan.” Taiwanese Journal of Sociology 69: 1-51. (in Chinese.)
• Yu-Ju Chien, Kuan-Liang Chou, and Chung‐Hsi Chou. 2020. “A Survey on the Modernization of the Pork Supply Chain: Responses from Pork Vendors.” Journal of the Chinese Society of Animal Science 49(4): 339-350. (in Chinese.)
• Yu-Ju Chien. 2020. “The Feelings of Pets: Animal ‘Psychics’ as Human-Pet Communication and Companionship Consultants.” Taiwanese Journal for Studies of Science, Technology and Medicine 31: 67-114. (in Chinese.)