Power and Agency: The Discipline-Shifting Work of James C. Scott

The purportedly irreconcilable aims of “area studies” versus formal disciplines are a long-standing concern. In reality, their objectives often inseparable, and approaches that start from center region have strongly contributed to theory building within disciplines. Few social scientists been so productive in bridges between these competing frames as James C. Scott, evidenced by his celebrated body work, election the presidency Association for Asian Studies, receipt meritorious citations such Social Science Research Council's 2020 Albert O. Hirschman Prize, awarded “scholars who made outstanding contributions international, interdisciplinary science research, theory, public communication.”