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Issues of Sustainability in the Works of James C. Scott

Abram, Isaac
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1386319730

Abstract Details

2013, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Environmental Studies (Voinovich).
This thesis will explore several pertinent issues regarding environmental sustainability that arise in the recent work of James C. Scott, a professor of Anthropology and Political Science at Yale University. As a result of his official academic titles, fellow scholars overlook the applicability of Scott's work to contemporary issues in environmental studies. But even though his academic pedigree might seem an odd mix from which to cull salient insights into issues of environmental sustainability, this thesis will show that Scott's interdisciplinary background gives him a uniquely advantageous vantage point from which to explore environmental issues. Scott's work offers a panoply of insights that strike at the root of many environmental problems. Chief among his inquiries is the state's role in instigating ecological catastrophe. Scott's analysis of this role is so penetrating and comprehensive that it prompts readers to question the compatibility between the existence of states and prospects for environmental sustainability. The briefest encapsulation of Scott's argument is that states invariably — and perhaps necessarily endeavor to organize existence, and that this organizational compulsion disrupts natural ecological flows, thus producing dire consequences for biota. A second, related insight is that human groups who strive to resist the state invariably — and perhaps necessarily exhibit a more balanced, harmonious commingling with the natural order. The conscious evasion of state-like structures among stateless peoples compels them to apply a set of practices that reduce their environmental impact to nearly nil. These dual insights deserve careful attention given that environmental issues have been thrust to the forefront of social life in recent years. Accordingly, one purpose of this thesis is to recast Scott as one of the most relevant thinkers who can contribute to the conversation regarding sustainability. A second purpose of this thesis is to survey Scott's anthropological studies of Southeast Asian hill peoples. Such a survey will supply an empirical account of the practices that human groups utilized to escape the state's grip while also building sustainable communities. A final purpose of this thesis is to assess whether the practices of these stateless groups enable them to be deemed 'resilient' and thus provide an inspirational model for achieving environmental sustainability.
Julie White (Committee Chair)
DeLysa Burnier (Committee Member)
Nancy Manring (Committee Member)
100 p.
Environmental Justice; Environmental Philosophy; Environmental Studies; History; Native Studies; Philosophy; Political Science
James C Scott; sustainability; environmentalism; political agronomy; anarchism

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Abram, I. (2013). Issues of Sustainability in the Works of James C. Scott [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1386319730

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Abram, Isaac. Issues of Sustainability in the Works of James C. Scott. 2013. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1386319730.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Abram, Isaac. "Issues of Sustainability in the Works of James C. Scott." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1386319730

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1386319730
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.