Weapons of the Weak
1985 book by James C. Scott
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Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance is a 1985 book on everyday forms of rural class conflict as illustrated in a Malaysian village, written by anthropologist James C. Scott and published by Yale University Press.
First edition | |
| Author | James C. Scott |
|---|---|
| Subject | Anthropology |
| Published | 1985 (Yale University Press) |
| Pages | 389 |
| ISBN | 0300033362 |
In Weapons of the Weak, Scott turns his attention to the daily, subtle forms of resistance employed by villagers, a shift from the traditionally studied grand narratives of revolutions and uprisings.[1] His ethnographic research concentrates on seventy families in a Malaysian village, whose lives are profoundly affected by the introduction of irrigation and double cropping, leading to significant social changes.[2]
The core of Scott's analysis lies in the various passive resistance strategies adopted by the villagers. These include: sabotage, foot-dragging, evasion, false compliance, pilfering, feigned ignorance, arson, dissimulation, and slander.[3]
Though copyrighted in 1985, it was published in hardback in February 1986.[4]