I study the dynamics of social organization. I am particularly interested in how basic principles of social interaction are expressed in specific historical or cultural contexts, and why these expressions may result in new institutional arrangments or new identities for individuals.

Frequently the tension between general social mechanisms and the particularity of local institutional arrangements is at the theoretical center of my work; I like to develop or expand methods that allow us to model the dynamics of these tensions. At the level of specific studies, the payoff is more precise understanding of how general processes get worked out in specific places, often with profound consequences for individuals or social structures. In a more cumulative sense, my work offers a model of how to use formal methods to systematically study the dynamics of social process, with an eye toward understanding both the reproduction of institutions and the emergence of new forms of social organization and behavior.