Land and Longhouse

This book examines the role of community, market and state in the historic transformation of upland livelihoods in Southeast Asia. Focusing on the Saribas Iban of Sarawak, the book combines in-depth, generation-long village case studies with an account of changes in land use and tenure at the regional level spanning a century and a half. This analysis demonstrates that, far from being passive victims of globalization, the Iban have been active agents in their own transformation, engaging with both market and state while retaining community values and governance. The book offers a fascinating, empirically rich account of interest to scholars, development practitioners and the general reader alike.

"This study is certain to become a major reference point for future work on land use, tenure, and agrarian change in Upland Southeast Asia." -- Clifford Sather