Dr Hyun-Joo Lim
- hlim at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
- http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8620-4068
- Principal Academic in Sociology
- Bournemouth Gateway Building BG501, St Pauls Lane, Bournemouth, BH8 8GP
- Keywords:
- Sociology
Biography
I am a Principal Academic in Sociology and Inclusivity Lead at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at Bournemouth University. My research interests have developed around the human rights and activism of North Korean defectors, gender, identity, women’s health, and socially marginalised individuals and groups in the UK.
Currently, I’m leading the British Academy/Leverhulme funded project, ‘How Effective are Menopause Policies at Universities in England?’, which examines how effectively universities’ menopause policies are translated into practice. I am also a co-investigator for the Wessex Health Partnership funded project, ‘Enhancing Health Literacy in Schools: Co-developing Resources and Establishing a Regional Health Champion Network’, to develop health education resources for schools through collaboration with young girls and women.
I teach a first-year unit, Families and Kinship in Contemporary Society, that explores themes relating to dynamic changes taking place in contemporary families, including marriage/cohabitation, divorce, parenting, transnational families, domestic violence and relevant laws and policies... I also teach a final year unit, Politics and Ideology, which examines contemporary political issues that affect our daily lives, such as environmental politics & ideology and critical evaluation of democracy and democratic systems. Other units that I am involved in teaching are second year units, Qualitative Research Skills, and Health, Crime & Society.
I supervise PhD students and current topics under my supervision include: ‘Tracing the Historical and Contemporary Roles of Picong through the West African and Caribbean Diaspora’ and ‘Through the lens of punch bag: the writing of intimate terrorism (domestic violence) in a work of fiction’.
moreJournal Articles
- Khan, H. and Lim, H.-J., 2025. Using creative educational methods for social work and healthcare professionals: digital stories and neonate simulators. The British Journal of Social Work.
- Lim, H.J., Gyori, B., Iwowo, S., Hillier, S. and Morris, A., 2025. Allies in action: co-creating cinematic narratives to explore intersectional empathy. Media Practice and Education.
- Lim, H.J., 2023. East Asian Mothers’ attitudes towards their children’s education in England: dialectics of East Asian and English education. Journal of Family Studies, 29 (4), 1722-1743.
- Lim, H.J., 2022. Case Study: Enhancing the Learning Experiences of BAME Students at a University: The University Role. Social Policy and Society, 21 (1), 134-141.
- Lim, H.J., 2021. Traversing: Familial Challenges for Escaped North Koreans. Journal of Refugee Studies, 34 (4), 4279-4299.
- Lim, H.J., 2021. Human Rights Activism Among North Korean Refugees in the UK: Hope for a Democratic Future? Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 6 (4), 277-286.
- Lim, H., 2015. Chinese and Korean mothers in England: motherhood, gender and employment. Families, Relationships and Societies.
- Lim, H., 2012. Culture and Motherhood: Findings from a Qualitative Study of East Asian Mothers in Britain’. Families, Relationships and Societies, 1 (3), 327-343.
- Lim, H., 2011. The life history interview: researching the dynamic identities of ethnic minority women in Britain. Enquire, 4, 1-21.
Books
- Lim, H.-J., 2023. North Korean women and defection. Bristol University Press.
- Lim, H.J., 2023. North Korean women and defection: Human rights violations and activism.
- Lim, H.-J., 2018. East Asian Mothers in Britain An Intersectional Exploration of Motherhood and Employment. Springer.
Chapters
- Lim, H.-J., 2025. Transnational mobility and human rights in the construction of wellbeing among North Korean forced migrants in the UK. In: Senz, A. and Kwon, J., eds. Transnational Mobility of Happiness and Wellbeing between Korea and Europe: Transnational Mobility of People, Goods, and Ideas. Heidelberg University Press.
- Lim, H.J., 2019. Motherhood experiences of East Asian women in Britain. Motherhood in Contemporary International Perspective Continuity and Change. 121-133.
- Lim, H.J., 2018. Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. 1-36.
- Lim, H.J., 2018. The Question of Identity for East Asian Migrant Women. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. 37-77.
- Lim, H.J., 2018. Gendered Division of Household Labour. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. 201-231.
- Lim, H.J., 2018. ‘I Also Have a Life Other Than Just Being a Mother’: Narratives of Employed Mothers. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. 163-199.
- Lim, H.J., 2018. Narratives of Stay-at-Home Mothers: The Ideology of Intensive Motherhood. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. 117-161.
- Lim, H.J., 2018. Intersectionality and Storytelling in the Context of East Asian Mothers. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. 79-115.
- Lim, H.J., 2018. Conclusion. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. 233-249.
Conferences
- Lim, H., 2018. Effects of defection: familial challenges for escaped North Koreans. In: Transnational Family Justice in Migration Crises 19 July 2017 Middlesex University.
- Lim, H., 2014. I should have married an Englishman”: the perceived impact of the husband’s ethnicity on gendered division of household labour for East Asian migrant women in England. In: British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2014 23-25 April 2014 University of Leeds.
- Lim, H., 2014. The Persistent Impact of Gendered Ideology: Narratives of East Asian Mothers in Britain. In: University of York Centre for Women’s Studies Conference: Asian Women Negotiating Hierarchy within Family 15 April 2010 University of York.
- Lim, H.J., 2014. Culture, Motherhood and Employment: Findings from a Pilot Qualitative Study of East Asian Working Mothers in Britain. In: Featherstone, B., ed. The Mother War Conference 25-26 June 2009 University of Surrey.
- Lim, H. and Skinner, T., 2013. Intersectionality in Lived Experience: Disability, Migration, Religion, Poverty, Care and Motherhood. In: British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2013 17-19 April 2013 London.
- Lim, H.J., 2012. The Intersection of Culture, Motherhood and Employment: Findings from a Pilot Qualitative Study of East Asian Working Mothers in Britain. In: Featherstone, B., ed. British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2010 21-23 April 2010 University of Glasgow Caledonian.
- Lim, H., 2011. Research Stories: Opportunities and Obstacles for Social Scientists. In: University of Nottingham 3rd Enquire Conference 20 July 2011 University of Nottingham.
- Lim, H., 2011. Motherhood and Employment: Narratives of East Asian Mothers in England. In: British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2011 13-15 April 2011 London School of Economics.
- Lim, H., 2010. Voices of the Marginalised: A Qualitative Study of South Korean Mothers in New Malden. In: 4TH ESRC Research Methods Festival 28 July 2010-31 October 2014 University of Oxford.
Reports
- Lim, H.-J., Alus, Y., Ashencaen Crabtree, S., Willetts, C. and Parker, J., 2015. Swimming Upstream: Identifying student anxieties and solutions. Bournemouth: Centre for Social Work, Sociology & Social Policy, Bournemouth University.
Internet Publications
- Lim, H.-J. and Lim, H.. A terrible fate awaits North Korean women who escape to China.. Available from: http://theconversation.com/a-terrible-fate-awaits-north-korean-women-who-escape-to-china-82992.
PhD Students
- Clare Keys. Who is looking after the UK citizen children of migrants detained for immigration purpose?, (In progress)
- David Galley. Social Work is Women’s Work, Right?
- Melsia Tomlin-Kraftner
Profile of Teaching UG
- Families and Kinship in Contemporary Society; Sociology of Ageing; Sociology of Health and Illness; Social Exclusion and Discrimination; Politics and Ideology
Grants
- Enhancing Health Literacy in Schools: Co-developing Resources and Establishing a Regional Health Champion Network’ (Wessex Health Partners, 01 Jan 2025). In Progress
- How effective are menopause policies at universities in England? (British Academy/Leverhulme, 01 Apr 2024). In Progress
- The ‘things I need to know but wasn’t told’: PPI for Knowledge Exchange Health Promotion workshops for young women (BU Women's Network, 01 Mar 2024). Completed
- Neonate simulators and digital stories: enhancing social work practitioner’s knowledge of problem substance use during pregnancy (ACORN, 01 May 2020). Awarded
- Trafficking of North Korean Female Defectors (Bournemouth University, 01 Apr 2017). Completed
- Voices of the Secret State: Human Rights Activism among North Korean Defectors in the UK (Bournemouth University, 01 Apr 2016). Completed
- The Intersection of Motherhood Identity with Culture and Class: a Qualitative Study of East Asian Mothers in England. (University of Bath, 01 Oct 2008). Awarded
Conference Presentations
- Transnational Family Justice Conference, Effects of defection: familial challenges for escaped North Koreans, 19 Jul 2017, Middlesex University
- International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP) Annual Conference, Voices of the Secret State: Human Rights Activism among North Korean Defectors in the UK, Envisioning the Possibility of Political Change in North Korea, 12 Jul 2016, Warsaw, Poland
- British Sociological Association (BSA) Annual Conference, North Korean defectors in the UK, 06 Apr 2016, University of Birmingham
- ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, North Korean defectors and their human rights activism, 27 Jun 2015, Bournemouth University
Qualifications
- PGCE in Educational Practice (Bournemouth University, 2017)
- PhD in Sociology (University of Bath, 2012)
- MRes (Master of Research in Sociology (University of Bath, 2008)
- BSc (hons) in Sociology with Human Resource Management (University of Bath, 2007)
Honours
- HEA Fellow, Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Practice (Bournemouth University, 2017)
- The Stephen Cotgrove Prize for Best Student in Sociology (University of Bath, 2007)
- Student of the Year Prize (Thanet College, 2003)
Memberships
- The BSA Race and Ethnicity Study Group, Member (2013-),
- East Asian Social Research Network, Member (2012-),
- British Sociological Association, Member (2008-),
Website Links
- The article was about the Festival of Learning event that Dr Lim organised on 11 July 2017., http://www.ifreenk.com/87671