Susan S. Chuang
Professor
College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition
Research Areas
- Family relations and human development
About
Dr. Susan Chuang is a Full Professor at the University of Guelph, Ontario, and an accredited family meditator with the Ontario Association for Family Mediation. She received her baccalaureate in Criminology and Sociology at the University of Toronto, Ontario. At the University of Rochester, New York, she received a Masters of Science in Elementary Education, and a Masters of Science and Doctorate in Human Development. After graduation, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Maryland, U.S.
Immigrant and Ethnic Minority Families
Chuang's first line of research includes parenting, fathering, parent-child relationships, child and adolescent development in various sociocultural contexts (e.g., cross-cultural work on Chinese families in Canada, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan; Latina/o families in Paraguay, US; Black families in Jamaica; Brazilian families). Some of the studies have been supported by SSHRC. Areas of exploration include parenting practices and beliefs, parental conflicts on childcare activities, mothers' and fathers' roles and responsibilities in the family, parental views on children's independence and personal freedom, and parent-child relationships.
A second line of research explores Chinese Canadian families’ (high school aged youths, mothers, and fathers) and emerging adults’ (University level) views on cannabis use and the impact on familial dynamics and relationships (SSHRC-funded). The project is to explore how cannabis use is understood among Chinese-Canadian communities with respect to attitudes, beliefs, and social stigma, motivations for use, and how parents and youth are talking about (or not) cannabis use.
Chuang founded and led the organization of the On New Shores conferences [seven conferences (2005 – 2022; five SSRHC-funded)] that focused on immigrant and refugee children and families from around the world. These conferences brought together scholars and community stakeholders to share their knowledge and expertise.
Intimate Partner and Family Abuse
In 2021, Chuang’s more recent research interests explores intimate partner violence against men, false allegations, family abuse, parenting time and decision-making, high conflict relationships, extreme gatekeeping, and their impact on individual and family well-being. Specifically, the first project, Partnering to Support Victimized Fathers of Intimate Partner Violence: An Evidence-Based Approach, was in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Men and Families, York Region, to examine men's experiences with intimate partner violence as fathers and how gender, ethnicity, and SES may complicate surviving men's experiences. Surviving fathers' willingness to disclose, seek help and support are some of the topics that have been explored (SSHRC-funded). The second project, The Complexities of Separation, Divorce, Child Custody, and the Aftermath: Fathers' Perspectives and Lived Experiences, explores the under-researched topic of the psychological, social, and financial impact on fathers as they experience marriage/union dissolution, high conflict, inter-partner abuse, allegations of abuse, and paternal disenfranchisement. Dr. Chuang is in collaboration with two family lawyers (SSHRC-funded).
In this arena, Chuang has founded the International Families Alliance and created the International Men and Families (MaF) conferences. As lead organizer, and with four Professors from three Provinces (BC, ON, and QC), they hosted the first MaF in 2022 in Toronto, Ontario (SSHRC-funded). Scholars, community organizations, practitioners from 21 countries and regions across six continents presented their work. (visit: www.IFAlliance.net)
As lead organizer, the MaF conferences were hosted in Toronto in 2023 (SSRHC-funded) and 2024, Barbados in 2025, Sao Miguel, Portugal, in 2026 (SSRHC-funded). Various free webinars were hosted in 2023 and 2025 (SSHRC-funded; see www.IFAlliance.net for details of upcoming events).
She is currently a co-author on the Canadianized version of the Essentials of Lifespan Development with McGraw-Hill Education (2023, 2026).
Chuang is the Series Editor for Springer on two series, including: (1) the Advances on Immigrant Family Research; and (2) Men, Family, and Society. She is the Associate Editor for the Journal of Family Psychology.
She provides numerous free community workshops for parents with children of various ages, as well as workshops for school-aged children, youth, and emerging adults. She also conducts workshops for service providers and teachers. Workshops are at no cost. The primary goal of the workshops is to bring greater attention to mental health issues and strengthen families.
Research Interests
Parenting, fathering, parent-child relationships, child and youth development, culture and immigration, high conflict situations, union, family breakdown, men's experiences with victimization and abuse, families and abuse, false allegations.
Education
- Ph.D., Human Development, University of Rochester, US
- M.S., Human Development, University of Rochester, US
- M.S., Elementary Education, University of Rochester, US
- B.A., Criminology & Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada