Agricultural Involution: The Processes of Ecological Change in Indonesia

'A remarkably interesting account of Indonesian agricultural history, primarily covering the period of Dutch control, from 1619 to 1942. Drawing on ecology, sociology, and economics, Geertz...provides an insightful and persuasive analysis' - "The Annals". 'If colonial geography ever succeeds in establishing itself as a discrete and integral focus of inquiry, it may well date its majority to the publication of "Agricultural Involution"' - "Geographical Record". 'A brilliant and superbly written study...an incisive, even frightening description of the most crucial dilemma in contemporary Indonesia' - "Agricultural History". 'A valuable and important study...in which source materials from history, economics, soil science, geography and other fields are brilliantly marshalled and interrelated. But besides being an exemplary study in the interaction of history, physical environment and agricultural technology, this book represents a watershed between narrowly conceived ethnographies and the flood of verbose and ill digested post-war 'technology-and-social-change' monographs that are wont to aim high and hit wide...A model of comparative analytical writing' - "Man".

Table of Contents:
I: Starting points, theoretical and factual -- The ecological approach in anthropology -- The limitation of traditional approaches -- Cultural ecology -- Two types of ecosystem -- Inner vs. outer Indonesia -- Swidden -- Sawah -- II: The crystallization of the pattern -- The classical period -- The colonial period: foundations -- The company -- The culture system -- The colonial period: Florescence -- The corporate plantation system -- The development of outer Indonesia -- III: The outcome -- Comparisons and prospects -- The present situation -- Java and Japan -- The outline of the future  

About the Author :
Clifford James Geertz (August 23, 1926 – October 30, 2006) was an American anthropologist who is remembered mostly for his strong support for and influence on the practice of symbolic anthropology, and who was considered "for three decades...the single most influential cultural anthropologist in the United States." He served until his death as professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.  

Review :
"Although Geertz composed Agricultural Involution some fifty years ago, it remains relevant to this day. . . .a comprehensive inquiry into the relationship between culture and nature." "A remarkably interesting account of Indonesian agricultural history, primarily covering the period of Dutch control, from 1619 to 1942. Drawing on ecology, sociology, and economics, Geertz...provides an insightful and persuasive analysis." "If colonial geography ever succeeds in establishing itself as a discrete and integral focus of inquiry, it may well date its majority to the publication of Agricultural Involution." "A brilliant and superbly written study...an incisive, even frightening description of the most crucial dilemma in contemporary Indonesia." "A valuable and important study...in which source materials from history, economics, soil science, geography and other fields are brilliantly marshalled and interrelated. But besides being an exemplary study in the interaction of history, physical environment and agricultural technology, this book represents a watershed between narrowly conceived ethnographies and the flood of verbose and ill digested post-war 'technology-and-social-change' monographs that are wont to aim high and hit wide...A model of comparative analytical writing." "[A]head of its time." "Although Geertz composed Agricultural Involution some fifty years ago, it remains relevant to this day. . . . it is difficult not to draw parallels to current political ecology issues across the globe. How the land is used, and at what social and environmental costs, is material to the whole of humanity and the ramifications are at a tipping point. In that sense, Agricultural Involution was ahead of its time."