Center for Southeast Asian Studies Friday Forum Lecture Series

James Scott is Sterling Prof. of Political Science, Prof. of Anthropology, and Dir. of the Agrarian Studies Program at Yale Univ. His talk explores “Zomia” (the portion of upland SE Asia that has, until recently, evaded incorporation into nation states and empires) and extends the concept to zones of state evasion to other parts of SE Asia and elsewhere. Principles of geography, subsistence practices, mobility, and social structure that abet state avoidance and state-prevention are examined.