Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Title
Is Appalachia Zomia?: James C. Scott's _The Art of Not Being Governed_ and the Utility of Comparative Mountain Studies
Session Abstract or Summary
In The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia (Yale UP, 2009) James C. Scott argues that, prior to about 1950, some highland people in Southeast Asia chose to remove themselves from the control of empires and, eventually, nation states. Scott uses the term "Zomia," coined in 2002 by historian Willem van Schendel, to refer to a vast region of mountainous terrain in Southeast Asia that crosses historical and contemporary borders of nations. In the beginning of his controversial book, Scott briefly uses Appalachia as a touchstone to define the concept of Zomia. This roundtable builds on Scott's glance at Appalachia, asking to what extent the Appalachian studies community can benefit from an understanding of 1) the mountainous, international region of Zomia; 2) Scott's hypothesis of mountain people as agents of their own relationship to the state apparatus; and 3) the benefits of international, comparative mountain studies. This roundtable brings together established scholars and graduate students with experience in comparative mountain studies for a discussion of the utility to Appalachian studies of Scott's influential and controversial argument that privileges the agency of people living on "terrains of friction" vis-à-vis the state.
Presentation #1 Title
Is Appalachia Zomia?: James C. Scott's _The Art of Not Being Governed_ and the Utility of Comparative Mountain Studies
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
In The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia (Yale UP, 2009) James C. Scott argues that, prior to about 1950, some highland people in Southeast Asia chose to remove themselves from the control of empires and, eventually, nation states. Scott uses the term "Zomia," coined in 2002 by historian Willem van Schendel, to refer to a vast region of mountainous terrain in Southeast Asia that crosses historical and contemporary borders of nations. In the beginning of his controversial book, Scott briefly uses Appalachia as a touchstone to define the concept of Zomia. This roundtable builds on Scott's glance at Appalachia, asking to what extent the Appalachian studies community can benefit from an understanding of 1) the mountainous, international region of Zomia; 2) Scott's hypothesis of mountain people as agents of their own relationship to the state apparatus; and 3) the benefits of international, comparative mountain studies. This roundtable brings together established scholars and graduate students with experience in comparative mountain studies for a discussion of the utility to Appalachian studies of Scott's influential and controversial argument that privileges the agency of people living on "terrains of friction" vis-à-vis the state.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Katherine E. Ledford, PhD, is assistant professor of Appalachian studies at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She teaches a graduate seminar on Global Appalachia and is the founding chair of the ASA's ad hoc international connections committee, which fosters communication among Appalachian studies scholars around the world.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Betsy Taylor, PhD, is executive director of the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN) and senior research scientist in Appalachian studies at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. She is currently working on various projects for post-coal economic transition in Central Appalachia, and has worked in many action projects for community-driven, integrated development in Appalachia and South Asia – including health, agriculture, forestry, culture and environmental stewardship.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Donald Edward Davis, PhD, is the author of six books including the award-winning Where There Are Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians (UGA Press, 2003) and Homeplace Geography: Essays for Appalachia (Mercer University Press, 2006) with his latest book, The American Chestnut: An Environmental History, scheduled for publication in 2016. A Fulbright Fellow, Davis has lectured widely in the United States and abroad, including the countries of France, Romania, Ukraine, England, and the Czech Republic.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Jasper Waugh-Quasebarth is a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Kentucky and a researcher in the Smithsonian Institution's Asian Cultural History Program. He is currently engaged in ethnographic research with artisan musical instrument makers in West Virginia and has contributed to ethnographic research projects in Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Amazonia.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #5
Rebecca Beyer is a master's student in the Appalachian studies program at Appalachian State University concentrating in sustainability. An avid organic farmer, herbalist, illustrator and primitive skills instructor, her current work focuses on teaching ethnobotany and developing curriculum for ethnobotany courses focused on the Southern Appalachians and creating value in forgotten local flora.
Is Appalachia Zomia?: James C. Scott's _The Art of Not Being Governed_ and the Utility of Comparative Mountain Studies
In The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia (Yale UP, 2009) James C. Scott argues that, prior to about 1950, some highland people in Southeast Asia chose to remove themselves from the control of empires and, eventually, nation states. Scott uses the term "Zomia," coined in 2002 by historian Willem van Schendel, to refer to a vast region of mountainous terrain in Southeast Asia that crosses historical and contemporary borders of nations. In the beginning of his controversial book, Scott briefly uses Appalachia as a touchstone to define the concept of Zomia. This roundtable builds on Scott's glance at Appalachia, asking to what extent the Appalachian studies community can benefit from an understanding of 1) the mountainous, international region of Zomia; 2) Scott's hypothesis of mountain people as agents of their own relationship to the state apparatus; and 3) the benefits of international, comparative mountain studies. This roundtable brings together established scholars and graduate students with experience in comparative mountain studies for a discussion of the utility to Appalachian studies of Scott's influential and controversial argument that privileges the agency of people living on "terrains of friction" vis-à-vis the state.
