Customs are better understood as a living, negotiated tissue of practices which are continually being adapted to new ecological and social circumstances – including, of course, power relations. Customary systems of tenure should not be romanticized; they are usually riven with inequalities based on gender, status, and lineage. But because they are strongly local, particular, and adaptable, their plasticity can be the source of microadjustments that lead to shifts in prevailing practice.
-James C. Scott
Select a background
More quotes by James C. Scott
Popular Authors
A curated listing of popular authors.