The Role of Variation in Cultural Change - Agenda

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Tuesday-Thursday 15-17 April 2008 Agenda

Session 1
Tuesday morning, April 15

8:15 Hotel Santa Fe shuttle bus to SFI
8:15 Sandia Shuttle bus from SAR to SFI
9:00 – 9:20 Marcus Feldman: “Cultural variation and evolution: where the theory and date might go”
9:20 – 9:50 Discussion
9:50 – 10:00 Break
10:00 – 10:20 James Truncer: “Why cultural elaboration? An evolutionary perspective”
10:20 – 10:50 Discussion
10:50 – 11:20 Morning break
11:20 – 11:40 Melissa Brown: “Structural dynamics of cultural variation”
11:40 – 12:10 Discussion
12:15 – 1:50 Buffet Luncheon

Session 2
Tuesday afternoon, April 15

1:50 – 2:10 John Odling-Smee: “Where does human cultural niche construction fit in?”
2:10 – 2:40 Discussion
2:40 – 2:50 Break
2:50 – 3:10 Jessica Flack: “Evolutionary construction”
3:10 – 3:40 Discussion
3:40 – 4:10 Afternoon break
4:10 – 4:30 David Krakauer: “Adaptive construction dynamics”
4:30 – 5:00 Discussion
5:00 – Break for the evening
5:15 Sandia Shuttle bus to SAR
5:30 – 7:00 SAR Reception
7:00 Sandia Shuttle bus to Hotel Santa Fe

Session 3
Wednesday morning, April 16

8:15 Hotel Santa Fe shuttle bus to SFI
8:15 Sandia Shuttle bus from SAR to SFI
9:00 – 9:20 Paul Ehrlich: “Some thoughts on cultural evolution”
9:20 – 9:50 Discussion
9:50 – 10:20 Morning break
10:20 – 10:40 Laurent Lehmann: “Altruism and the cultural structure of populations”
10:40 – 11:10 Discussion
11:10 – 12:15 Open break
12:15 – 1:50 Buffet luncheon

Session 4
Wednesday afternoon, April 16

1:50 – 2:10 George Gumerman: “Demography, social complexity and cultural evolution”
2:10 – 2:40 Discussion
2:40 – 2:50 Break
2:50 – 3:10 Walter Scheidel: “Cultural evolution and the historian"
3:10 – 3:40 Discussion
3:40 – 4:10 Afternoon break
4:10 – 4:30 Henry Wright: Abstract Pending
4:30 – 5:00 Discussion
5:00 Break for evening
5:15 Hotel Santa Fe shuttle bus to hotel
5:15 Sandia Shuttle bus to SAR
6:45 Sandia Shuttle bus from SAR to Ristra Restaurant
(Hotel Santa Fe guests to walk to Ristra Restaurant)
7:00 RISTRA Dinner
9:15 Sandia Shuttle bus to SAR
(Hotel Santa Fe guests walk back to hotel)

Session 5
Thursday morning, April 17

8:15 Hotel Santa Fe shuttle bus to SFI
8:15 Sandia Shuttle bus from SAR to SFI
9:00 – 9:20 Daniel Hruschka: “Modeling cultural change: What can we learn from language?”
9:20 – 9:50 Discussion
9:50 – 10:00 Break
10:00 – 10:20 Deborah Rogers: “Feedback and linkages in the cultural system”
10:20 – 10:50 Discussion
10:50 – 11:20 Morning break
11:20 – 11:40 Stephen Lansing: “The domain of the replicators: cultural evolution and the neutral theory”
11:40 – 12:10 Discussion
12:10 – 12: 15 Break
12:15 – 1:45 Buffet Luncheon

Session 6
Thursday afternoon, April 17

Individuals in this session will identify key issues raised in the workshop for future directions in research on cultural change, followed by a discussion open to all participants. These syntheses and discussions are aimed at guiding publication of the workshop.

1:45 – 2:05 James Truncer
2:05 – 2:25 Discussion
2:25 – 2:30 Break
2:30 – 2:50 Daniel Hruschka
2:50 – 3:10 Discussion
3:10 – 3:35 Afternoon break
3:35 – 3:55 Jessica Flack
3:55 – 4:15 Discussion
4:15 – 4:20 Break
4:20 – 4:40 Melissa Brown
4:40 – 5:00 Discussion
5:00 End of workshop, break for evening
5:15 Hotel Santa Fe shuttle bus to hotel
5:15 Sandia Shuttle bus to SAR