Junghyun Nam

Current Research

My current research pursues three interconnected lines of inquiry:

Micro dynamics of police repression and Soft repression: This research investigates police repression and its outcomes, with particular emphasis on how protesters perceive and respond to police. I also investigate citizens' participation in repressive activities against activists with disabilities.
Emotion in mass protests: This work focuses on how joy develops and functions in contentious events, with particular emphasis on boundary-drawing within mass protests.
Practices of discipline in protest movements: This project analyzes how practices of discipline influence both the continuation of nonviolent mass protests and processes of marginalization within those protests.

Grants and Fellowships

2025  Student Travel Grant, Korean and Korean American Sociologists Community of American Sociological Association

2025  ASA Student Forum Travel Fund, American Sociological Association 

2025  Dissertation Completion Grant, George Mason University

2024  Summer Doctoral Fellowship, Center for Humanities Research, George Mason University

2022-2024  Doctoral Research Scholars Award, George Mason University

2022  Summer Research Fellowship, George Mason University

2022  Dissertation Research Fellowship, Department of Sociology and Anthropology,
George Mason University 

2021  IFKU Scholarship, International Foundation for Korea University

Courses Taught

SOCI 101 Introductory Sociology

SOCI 120 Globalization and Society

Education

Ph.D. in Sociology, George Mason University (2025)

M.A. in Linguistics (specialization: semiotics), Korea University (2014)

B.A. in Linguistics, Korea University (2012)

Recent Presentations

Nam, Junghyun. 2025. Presenter and Table Presider. “Territorial Pacification: Police as Allies and Dual Responses to Police Repression.” Round Table Session. American Sociological Association Conference, Chicago, IL, August 9.

Nam, Junghyun. 2025. Invited Discussant. “[Joint Forum] The Cultural Politics of the Square,” co-organized by BK21 Korean Language and Literature Education Research Group at Sungkyunkwan University, Global Cultural Contents Interdisciplinary Program at Sungkyunkwan University, Editorial Board of <Culture/Science>, Institute for Cultural Studies, Cultural Action Network, Humanities Cooperative Association, and Contemporary Political Philosophy Research Association. Seoul, South Korea, March 7.

Nam, Junghyun. 2025. “Territorial Pacification: Police as Allies and Dual Responses to Police Repression.” Eastern Sociological Society Conference, Boston, MA, March 6.

Nam, Junghyun. 2024. "We are the Square: Formation of Place-Based Collective Identity in the South Korean Candlelight Protests." Round Table Session. American Sociological Association Conference, Montreal, Canada, August 13. 

Nam, Junghyun. 2024. "Territorial Pacification: Self-Disciplining Protest from within the South Korean Candlelight Protests." Mobilization Conference, San Diego, CA, July 9. 

Nam, Junghyun. 2024. “Spatial Formation of Collective Identity in Mass Protest.” Eastern Sociological Society Conference, Washington, D.C., February 29th.

Nam, Junghyun. 2023.  “Goal-based Solidarity: the Internal Structure of Political Solidarity and its Impact on its Duration.” The Pacific Sociological Association Conference, Seattle, WA, March 31.

Nam, Junghyun. 2023. “Emotions in Motion: the Role of Emotions in the Mobilization and Sustainment of Mass Protest.” Korean Studies Young Scholars Graduate Conference, The James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, March 3.

Nam, Junghyun. 2023. “Emotion in Motion: the Role of Emotions in the Candlelight Protests.” Eastern Sociological Society Conference, Baltimore, MD, February 24. 

Nam, Junghyun and Dae Young Kim. 2021. "The K-pop Fans' Sense of Community and Attributive Factors." The Korean Wave in North America conference, George Mason University. Fairfax, VA, January 15.