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Abstract:
This talk introduces an important theory in evolutionary biology: the r/K strategy theory. It first outlines five patterned relationships between strategies and social contexts, establishing a basic framework for understanding social behavior. The talk then explores how the unique biological and cognitive characteristics of Homo sapiens have given rise to more complex patterns of interaction between human strategic choices and their environments. Drawing on examples primarily from recent observations of social development in China, the talk illustrates the explanatory power and analytical utility of the r/K strategy framework in social analysis. Finally, it situates the r/K strategy theory within the broader landscape of strategic choice theories in the social sciences, comparing it to alternative approaches and highlighting its unique advantages in understanding complex social behaviors and processes of change.

Speaker bio:
Dingxin Zhao is director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities at Zhejiang University and Max Palevsky Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Chicago. His research covers historical sociology, methodology, political sociology, social movements, social change and economic development. His current research project is on the epistemological and ontological aspects of social science methodologies. He is the author of the award-winning books The Power of Tiananmen (2001) and The Confucian-Legalist State (2015) in English, and several other books in Chinese including Social and Political Movement, Limits of Democracy, Politics of Legitimacy, What is Sociology, and Art of Asking Analytical Research Questions for Qualitative Sociology. His work has also appeared in journals such as American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, American Behavioral Scientist, Social Forces, Mobilization, and Sociology. Additionally, he has authored numerous commentaries on current affairs in Chinese.

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