British Agricultural History Society

Agricultural Involution: The Process of Ecological Change in Indonesia by Clifford Geertz

Review by: E. L. Jones
The Agricultural History Review, Vol. 12, No. 2 (1964), p. 129
Published by: British Agricultural History Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40273102 .
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 Book Reviews
Clifford Geertz, AgriculturalInvolution: labour-intensive aresickresponses
agriculture
theprocessofecologicalchangein Indonesia. topopulation Javaseemsmuchlike
pressure.
UniversityofCalifornia Press(Cambridge pre-famine Ireland.Her experience becomes
UniversityPress),1963.xx+176 pp. 32s. themorepoignant whenDr Geertzcontrasts
This bookis a significant
contribution to the it withthatofJapan,whichachievedecono-
of
methodology agricultural history an mic growthand a capital-intensive
and agricul-
answerto thosewho scorninterdisciplinary ture.
quiteapartfrombeinga freshview
research, The bulkof the booktracesthe different
of theproblemsof underdeveloped tropical but equallystultifying stepswithwhichthe
economies.Dr Geertzhas written a compel- paddyterraces ofJavaandtheslash-and-burn
ling, beautifully integratedecologicaland forests ofouterIndonesiaretreated fromex-
economichistory of Indonesianagriculture,ternalpressures. This is an illuminating path
whichhe conceivesas twoecosystems, slash- along whichto approachthe problemsof
and-burnand paddycultivation. Earlylast regionalimbalancewithinlow, nearlystag-
centurythe Dutch draftedseasonallyun- nantper capitanationalincomewhichcur-
employedlocal labourto createsocialover- rentlyfaceand shapetheIndonesianpolity.
head capitalsuch as roads and dams,pro- But besidesits intrinsicinterestas a case
ducingexternaleconomiesof advantageto study,Agricultural Involution can profitably
local entrepreneurs. Economic 'take-off*be readas an exampleofa novelandpurpose-
seemednearerthantoday.But unprocessed fulkindofagricultural history.
cashcropsweredrainedawayto theNether- E. L. JONES
lands,largelyfromtheenclavesofplantation
agriculture whichwerebreedingIndonesian Folk Life,Journalof theSocietyfor Folk Life
coolies,notfactory workers.The expansion Studies.Vol. I, 1963. 112 pp. 24 plates.
ofoutputfromnativeagricultures was mop- Publishedby the Folk Life Society,c/o
the
pedup by growing numberof hands which St Fagan'sCastle,Cardiff, Wales.
producedit. The Dutch grew rich, the The firstvolumeofFolk Life,publishedby
Javanese numerous. theSocietyforFolkLifeStudies,is wellpre-
Both paddy and slash-and-burn coped sented and providesfor a wide range of
withincreasing populationand Dutch colo- interests. Articles
onthecountryman's smock,
nialrequirements theperpe- bowl turnersand spoon carvers,'knurand
by'involution',
tual elaborationof tenuresand labouror- spell'and alliedgames,and thehandcrafts-
ganizationwithinexistingfarming systems. manin thewooltextiletradearefollowed by
Constantlyintensified hand labour raised an accountof oraltradition and beliefin an
yieldsperacrein thepaddyareas,butnever industrial region(Bradford)and disguisein
achievedthetechnicalbreakthrough needed Englishfolkdrama.Therearenotesand re-
toraiseoutputperman.Todaytherearesigns viewsofbooks.Those agricultural historians
thateven this 'staticexpansion'is ending, who have exploredso manyfeaturesof the
sincebothpercapitafoodconsumption and material cultureofpastrurallifewillwelcome
the averagesize of holdingare falling.The thisnewjournal.Othersmaythinkits title
ecologicallimitsto slash-and-burn are nar- callsforsomefurther explanation.
rowerstill,for,whenover-exploited,thevege- The namefolklivsforskning (folk-life re-
tationalsuccessiondivergesfroma tropical search)was coinedin Swedenin 1909where
forestclimaxto one of agriculturally sterile it has been regardedas a branchof general
imperatasavannah.Fromthe standpoint of anthropology. Western or European re-
economicgrowth evermoreinvolved forms of gionalethnology ratherthanfolk-life studies
129

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