Decoding Subaltern Politics: A Review of James C. Scott's Book

    James C. Scott is one of the most influential social theorists of our time, who has devoted his career to studying subaltern groups, especially peasants, and their forms of resistance and rebellion against the state and other dominant forces. In his latest book, Decoding Subaltern Politics: Ideology, Disguise, and Resistance in Agrarian Politics, Scott brings together some of his most important and original insights on the hidden transcripts, everyday practices, and symbolic expressions of the subalterns in different historical and cultural contexts. The book is an indispensable guide for anyone interested in understanding the complex and often invisible dynamics of subaltern politics and culture.

    The "Way" of Peasant Politics

    The first part of the book lays out a framework for understanding peasant politics and rebellion, drawing on Scott's earlier works such as The Moral Economy of the Peasant and Weapons of the Weak. Scott argues that peasants have a distinctive "way" of political action, which is shaped by their material conditions, moral values, and cultural traditions. Peasants are not passive victims or irrational rebels, but rational actors who seek to maximize their security, dignity, and autonomy in the face of uncertainty, exploitation, and oppression. Peasants are also not homogeneous or monolithic, but diverse and heterogeneous, with different interests, identities, and alliances. Peasant politics is therefore not a simple or linear phenomenon, but a complex and multidimensional one, involving various forms of resistance, accommodation, negotiation, and collaboration.




Decoding Subaltern Politics Scott, James C.