Tracks and Traces: Thailand and the Work of Andrew Turton

by Philip Hirsch and Nicholas Tapp

Tracks and Traces: Thailand and the Work of Andrew Turton traces the threads that tie together an understanding of Thailand as a dynamic and rapidly changing society, through an examination of the work of one major scholar of the country, Andrew Turton. Turton’s anthropological studies of Thailand cover a wide spectrum from politics and economy to ritual and culture, and have been crucial in shaping evolving understandings of Thai society.

In this collection, ten leading specialists on Thailand from a variety of disciplines critically consider facets of Turton’s work in relation to the changing nature of different aspects of Thai society. The book tracks the links between past and present scholarship, examines the contextuality of scholarship in its time, and sheds light on the current situation in Thailand.

What others are saying

“This collection takes Andrew Turton’s extensive scholarship as a lens to evaluate a wide range of issues in Thai studies. It shows admirably how one scholar’s influence transcends a generation, helping understand the present through the past”—Thongchai Winichakul, Professor of Southeast Asian History, University of Wisconsin–Madison

“This important book is theoretically engaged, grounded in contemporary issues and reflective of a critical approach to Thai studies that demands the attention of the current generation of scholars”—Kevin Hewison, Professor of Asian Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Highlights

Provides a 30-year perspective on one of the leading scholars of Thailand and his groundbreaking work
Offers a wealth of insight into the changing nature of Thai society
Covers a broad range of topics from political leadership, citizenship, and ideology to slavery, agrarian social structures, enthnoregionalism, and ritual powers

About the Authors

Philip Hirsch is Professor of Human Geography at the University of Sydney and has published widely on issues of the environment and social and economic development in Thailand and neighbouring countries.

Nicholas Tapp is Professor of Anthropology at the Australian National University and has published on the Hmong peoples of Thailand and the region.