Agrarian Transformations: Local Processes and the State in Southeast Asia

This collection presents a comparative analysis of agrarian change in the main rice-growing regions of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Its central theme is the interplay between agrarian relations and wider political-economic systems. By drawing on historical materials as well as intensive field research, the contributors show how local-level mechanisms of labour control and accumulation both reflect and alter larger political and economic forces. The key to understanding these connections lies in the structure and exercise of power at different levels of society.