This event will be in-person only.

In this talk, Professor Zhang explores the micro-foundations of elite politics by focusing on changes in network structures that emerge from informal conversations. Empirically, he offers a “situational conflict” explanation to the periodic elite conflict during China’s reform era (1977–1992), emphasizing the unexpected power collision that catalyzed the violent crackdown on the Tiananmen movement in 1989. He will also demonstrate why integrating micro-sociological theories and network analysis can help us unpack the black box of elite politics and its role in macro-historical change.

Yang Zhang is Associate Professor in the School of International Service at American University. A sociologist by training, Dr. Zhang's research interests include historical and political sociology, elite and contentious politics, political economy, knowledge, theory, and China Studies, broadly defined. He has published in American Journal of Sociology, Theory and Society, Journal of Historical Sociology, and Mobilization, among other outlets. His work has received Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Article Award (Honorable Mention) from the Collective Behavior and Social Movements Section and the Charles Tilly Article Award from Comparative-Historical Sociology Section, both from American Sociological Association.

If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us at chinese.studies@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.