Minyoung Moon, Ph.D.

I am a sociologist specializing in gender, religion, and social movements. I earned my Ph.D. in Sociology from Vanderbilt University and currently serve as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

My research spans two interconnected areas. The first focuses on contemporary feminism, gender-based violence, and women's activism — examining how feminist movements shape social and policy change, with particular attention to South Korea and the United States. The second, and more recent, line of inquiry investigates new religious movements, specifically the contemporary Unification Church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) and the experiences of its members in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. This work draws on in-depth interviews, participant observation, and archival research to examine questions of conversion, commitment, and second-generation religious identity.

My work has been published in Gender & Society, Sociological Perspectives, and Sociology Compass. I employ a range of methodologies — including interviews, digital ethnography, and Qualitative Comparative Analysis — to address pressing questions in gender politics, movement strategy, and religious life. 

In the classroom, I teach Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, and Collective Behavior and Social Movements, and I mentor both undergraduate and graduate students in independent and collaborative research.

Beyond academia, I actively engage in public and policy discourse. My research has been featured in interviews with outlets such as POLITICO, BBC, and The Guardian. Additionally, my policy-oriented publication in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs addresses technology-facilitated gender-based violence and includes actionable recommendations to inform future policy development.

Email: minyoung.moon@uncp.edu 

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