James C Scott 1936-2024: Populariser of the moral economy
The anthropologist James C Scott died on 19th July aged 87. He is perhaps best known for taking the concept of a moral economy developed, though certainly not ‘invented’ by the socialist historian E P Thompson and developing it in anthropological studies.
Thompson himself had understood the importance of and links with anthropology and some of his ideas can be found in the last collection of his work published while he was still alive (d1993) Customs in Common.
In my own work across a range of platforms I’ve found Scott’s Weapons of the Weak particularly insightful and useful. In the book Scott looks at how peasants, often thought to lack social and economic power still found ways to fight back against employers and authorities.
Often this included strategies such as mumbling where an employer thought something critical had been said (it had) but was unable to properly hear what was it and therefore could do little about it.
It’s a strategy Ive used myself on occasions.
Obviously Scott’s discussion of strategies ranged far wider and his work will repay a read for anyone interested in how people fight back in unfavourable circumstances
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