Dates: June 21-27, 2008 
Call for Papers Deadline: April 9, 2008
Location: Brown University, Providence
Website: www.TheIHS.org/SocialChange

2008 Theme: Institutions, Human Nature, and Development

The Social Change Workshop for Graduate Students is a unique interdisciplinary seminar and student conference sponsored by the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS). All graduate students in the social sciences and humanities are invited to apply. Participation is limited to accepted applicants. There is no cost to attend and IHS will provide meals and housing. The deadline to apply is March 31.

The workshop will be asking both descriptive and normative questions about the relationship between knowledge, decision-making, and social, political, and economic institutions—questions such as:
--Is institutional structure the key to prosperity?
--How does the study of human cognition shape our understanding of interpersonal relations in society?
--How should we respond to the demands for social justice?
--Should evolutionary psychology change the way we do moral theory, economics, political science, and law?

The Workshop features a truly world-class faculty. Past speakers have included:
-Avner Greif, Economics, Stanford University -Michael Munger, Political Science, Duke University -Douglass C. North, Economics, Washington University in St. Louis -David Schmidtz, Philosophy, University of Arizona -Mary Shirley, President, Ronald Coase Institute; Consultant, World Bank -John Tomasi, Political Science and Philosophy, Brown -Barry Weingast, Political Science, Stanford University -Paul Zak, Economics and Psychology, Claremont Graduate University

We are currently in the process of finalizing this year’s faculty lineup. Please visit our website for more information.

The Workshop is not simply a series of cutting-edge lectures. It also provides the opportunity for select students to present their research and receive feedback on their work from other top graduate students. To apply to be a presenter, complete the workshop application, then send a short abstract, a cover letter stating the relationship of your work to the theme of " Institutions, Human Nature and Development" and a current CV to SocialChange@TheIHS.org.