Land and longhouse : agrarian transformation in the uplands of Sarawak

In this book, Cramb traces the role of community, market and state in the agrarian transformation of a major upland society in Southeast Asia on the basis of a unique, in-depth, generation-long village study he has conducted of the Saribas Iban of Sarawak. The findings from these field studies are combined with historical and institutional analysis spanning a century and a half to demonstrate that the Iban have been active agents in their own transformation, engaging with both market and state while retaining community values and governance. This fascinating, empirically rich account is a significant new contribution to debates about economic, social and environmental change and conflict in upland Southeast Asia and will be of interest to scholars, development practitioners, and the general reader.