Rahardhika Utama Awarded Theda Skocpol Best Dissertation Award by the American Sociological Association

Utama is a sociologist with a PhD from Northwestern University, where he specialized in comparative-historical research and ethnographies of development. He is now a researcher at the Atma Jaya Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR Atma Jaya) and a visiting scholar in the Equality Development and Globalization Studies (EDGS) program at Northwestern. During his graduate training, Utama was a Global Impacts Graduate Fellow at the Northwestern Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs and a Southeast Asia Research Group (SEAREG) Fellow at the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy’s Center for International Development. 

Passionate about conducting high-impact research that addresses real-world problems, Utama’s work spans various areas including comparative development, corruption, bureaucracy and politics, social policy and inequality, and the social determinants of health. His current research delves into the development variations among agrarian economies in Southeast Asia, a topic that remains crucial for understanding global development patterns. 

The award-winning dissertation, "Embedded Peasantry," explores why some countries experience miraculous economic growth while others do not, with a specific focus on the agrarian societies and natural rubber economies of Southeast Asia. Through meticulous research involving interviews with 167 agricultural producers, traders, government officials, political activists, development planners, 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork, and extensive archival analysis, Utama offers a nuanced understanding of how historical and geopolitical factors, particularly during the Cold War, shaped the developmental paths of these nations. 

His dissertation posits that the Cold War significantly influenced the political approaches to peasant mobilization and agricultural development, leading to divergent state-peasant relations and outcomes in industrialization and economic growth. In some countries, peasants were incorporated into the industrialization process, facilitating economic transformation and growth. In others, they were suppressed, hindering development and perpetuating economic stagnation. This comparative historical approach not only enriches the field of development sociology but also provides valuable insights for policymakers and scholars interested in the dynamics of agrarian economies. 

Utama’s research was supported by several prestigious institutions, including the Arryman Scholars Program at Northwestern University, the Southeast Asia Research Group (SEAREG), the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, and the American Indonesian Cultural and Educational Foundation (AICEF). This extensive support underscores the significance and impact of his work in understanding and addressing development issues in Southeast Asia. 

Receiving the Theda Skocpol Best Dissertation Award is a testament to Utama's dedication, intellectual rigor, and innovative contributions to sociology. As he continues his research at IFAR Atma Jaya and EDGS, he remains committed to producing high-impact studies that address critical global challenges, reinforcing his role as a leading voice in the field of development sociology. “My immediate goal is to publish this research as a series of journal articles, aiming to reorient our understanding of economic development variations and bring Southeast Asia and agrarian issues back into focus within global development studies,” Utama said. “Concurrently, I'm finalizing a book based on this research, which will incorporate extensive ethnographic data to support my agenda of uncovering strategies that promote economic growth in the Global South while preserving the livelihoods and dignity of rural communities.”