The Contested Commons: Conversations between Economists and Anthropologists

Interdisciplinary work in the social
sciences is challenging. While sometimes similar in their research themes, the large variance in the histories and methods
of different disciplines tends to hinder constructive communication. The
Contested Commons explores the theme
of common environmental resources
from the perspective of two disciplines
that are often considered to be far apart: economics and anthropology.
Written by senior scholars in economics, anthropology, sociology, and political science, this volume focuses on methodological and epistemological approaches to the analysis of local
common-pool resources. This is a topic
that touches upon economic security, ecological sustainability, identity formation, and participatory decision-making
„Ÿparticularly in the developing world.
The essays in this volume illustrate the
wide variation in approaches to research itself, both across and within economics
and anthropology.