College of Education and Human Development

Family Social Science

Chun Creaser

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

  • Lecturer

a professor

Areas of interest

Culture and Human Development, specifically the reciprocal process of parent-child growth and development in Asian culture, parenting and parent education, community engagement, ambiguous loss, family stress management, immigrant and refugee families 

Degrees

Ph.D., Family, Youth and Community Education. University of Minnesota 

M.A., Early Childhood Education, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale  

B.S., Early Childhood Education, Yunnan Normal University

Biography

Before joining the University of Minnesota, I taught at the University of Illinois Springfield. As an educator, I draw immense energy from engaging in authentic and rigorous discussions with my students, particularly around the themes of equity, diversity, and inclusiveness, and their impact on human growth and development. My ultimate goal in teaching is to foster an appreciation for diverse human experiences. I operate under the epistemological assumption that multiple realities exist in various contexts. In my teaching approach, I encourage students to critically examine the nature of knowledge, how it is constructed, and their roles in generating new insights within our ever-evolving social and community contexts.

What students can expect from me

Establishing a personal connection with students is fundamental to building strong teacher-student relationships that support successful learning and academic growth. I am committed to advancing students' academic progress by providing regular and constructive feedback on their assignments in a timely manner. My approach emphasizes both theoretical understanding and  practical skills, aiming to promote career readiness and prepare students to excel in their future professional environments.

Publications

Walker, A., & Creaser, Z. C. (2019). Substance use, recovery and closeness to God: Insights from the retrospective interview technique. In I.   Jindra (Eds.), Conversion and Lived Religion. Netherlands: Brill. 

Creaser. Z. C., & Xia, Y. (2018). Family Life Education in China. In M. Robila & A.  Taylor (Eds.), Family life education around the world. New York, NY: Springer. 

Creaser, Z. Chun. (2017). [Review of the book Family stress management: A contextual approach, by P. Boss, C. M. Bryant & A. Mancini] Book Review. Journal of Family Theory and Review. DOI:10.1111/jftr.12235 

Presentations

Creaser, Z. C. (2018, November). Chinese parenting portrayed in today’s literature. National Council on Family Relations annual conference, San Diego, CA. 

Anthony, W., & Creaser, Z. C. (2018, November), All who wander are not lost: How and why college students declare HDFS as a major. National Council on Family  Relations annual conference, San Diego, CA.  

Creaser, Z. C. (2017, November). Is becoming Christian a way to become American? The Journey of finding the sense of community and belonging among Chinese immigrant mothers. National Council on Family Relations annual conference,  Orlando, FL.  

Creaser, Z. C. (2016, November). Beyond being authoritarian, taking a closer look at Chinese immigrant parent- child conflict management from a dynamic perspective. National Council on Family Relations annual conference, Minneapolis, MN.  

Zhang, C. (2014, November). A critical discourse analysis of a Chinese immigrant homeschooling mother’s identity construction. National Council on Family  Relations, Annual conference, not accepted proposal.   

Zhang, C. (2013, November). Challenging the tiger mother stereotype? Chinese Christian immigrant homeschooling mothers’ parenting practices inquiry. National Council on Family Relations, Annual conference, San Antonio, TX.  

Peer Reviewed Regional Conferences

Zhang, C. (2015, November). How Christian Chinese immigrant homeschooling mothers negotiate their cultural, ethnic and religious identity in the everyday parenting.Minnesota Council on Family Relations annual conference, Minneapolis, MN.

Zhang, C. (2013, May). Chinese immigrant mothers’ homeschooling practices in the United States. Minnesota Council on Family Relations annual conference, Minneapolis, MN.  

Zhang, C. (2012, November). What can be done to effectively support parents and teachers working with lonely children? Minnesota Council on Family Relations