diff --git a/lib/action_controller/serialization.rb b/lib/action_controller/serialization.rb
index c966c9f1..69573298 100644
--- a/lib/action_controller/serialization.rb
+++ b/lib/action_controller/serialization.rb
@@ -65,11 +65,21 @@ module ActionController
       options = default_serializer_options.merge(options)
 
       if serializer = options.fetch(:serializer, ActiveModel::Serializer.serializer_for(resource))
-        options[:scope] = serialization_scope unless options.has_key?(:scope)
+        options[:context] = build_context_from options[:context]
         options[:resource_name] = controller_name if resource.respond_to?(:to_ary)
 
         serializer.new(resource, options)
       end
     end
+
+    def build_context_from(context_option)
+      default_context.tap do |context|
+        context.merge! context_option if context_option
+      end
+    end
+
+    def default_context
+      { scope: serialization_scope }
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/array_serializer.rb b/lib/active_model/array_serializer.rb
index dfb86844..9e454888 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/array_serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/array_serializer.rb
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ module ActiveModel
 
     def initialize(object, options={})
       @object          = object
-      @scope           = options[:scope]
+      @context         = options[:context] || {}
       @root            = options.fetch(:root, self.class._root)
       @meta_key        = options[:meta_key] || :meta
       @meta            = options[@meta_key]
       @each_serializer = options[:each_serializer]
       @resource_name   = options[:resource_name]
     end
-    attr_accessor :object, :scope, :root, :meta_key, :meta
+    attr_accessor :object, :context, :root, :meta_key, :meta
 
     def json_key
       if root.nil?
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ module ActiveModel
 
     def serializer_for(item)
       serializer_class = @each_serializer || Serializer.serializer_for(item) || DefaultSerializer
-      serializer_class.new(item, scope: scope)
+      serializer_class.new(item, context: context)
     end
 
     def serializable_object
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
index fba7fffa..b7242452 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
@@ -103,13 +103,13 @@ end
 
     def initialize(object, options={})
       @object        = object
-      @scope         = options[:scope]
+      @context       = options[:context] || {}
       @root          = options.fetch(:root, self.class._root)
       @meta_key      = options[:meta_key] || :meta
       @meta          = options[@meta_key]
       @wrap_in_array = options[:_wrap_in_array]
     end
-    attr_accessor :object, :scope, :root, :meta_key, :meta
+    attr_accessor :object, :context, :root, :meta_key, :meta
 
     def json_key
       if root == true || root.nil?
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ end
 
     def build_serializer(association)
       object = send(association.name)
-      association.build_serializer(object, scope: scope)
+      association.build_serializer(object, context: context)
     end
 
     def serialize(association)
diff --git a/test/fixtures/poro.rb b/test/fixtures/poro.rb
index a43954b5..fb5fcec2 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/poro.rb
+++ b/test/fixtures/poro.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ end
 class ProfileSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
   def description
     description = object.read_attribute_for_serialization(:description)
-    scope ? "#{description} - #{scope}" : description
+    context[:scope] ? "#{description} - #{context[:scope]}" : description
   end
 
   attributes :name, :description
diff --git a/test/integration/action_controller/serialization_test.rb b/test/integration/action_controller/serialization_test.rb
index 7ffd4c56..f42bb803 100644
--- a/test/integration/action_controller/serialization_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/action_controller/serialization_test.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ module ActionController
     class DefaultOptionsForSerializerScopeTest < ActionController::TestCase
       class MyController < ActionController::Base
         def default_serializer_options
-          { scope: current_admin }
+          { context: { scope: current_admin } }
         end
 
         def render_using_scope_set_in_default_serializer_options
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ module ActionController
     class ExplicitSerializerScopeTest < ActionController::TestCase
       class MyController < ActionController::Base
         def render_using_implicit_serializer_and_explicit_scope
-          render json: Profile.new({ name: 'Name 1', description: 'Description 1', comments: 'Comments 1' }), scope: current_admin
+          render json: Profile.new({ name: 'Name 1', description: 'Description 1', comments: 'Comments 1' }), context: { scope: current_admin }
         end
 
         private
diff --git a/test/unit/active_model/array_serializer/context_test.rb b/test/unit/active_model/array_serializer/context_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e63741c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/active_model/array_serializer/context_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+module ActiveModel
+  class ArraySerializer
+    class ContextTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
+      def test_context_using_a_hash
+        serializer = ArraySerializer.new(nil, context: { a: 1, b: 2 })
+        assert_equal(1, serializer.context[:a])
+        assert_equal(2, serializer.context[:b])
+      end
+
+      def test_context_using_an_object
+        serializer = ArraySerializer.new(nil, context: Struct.new(:a, :b).new(1, 2))
+        assert_equal(1, serializer.context.a)
+        assert_equal(2, serializer.context.b)
+      end
+    end
+
+    class ScopeTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
+      def test_array_serializer_pass_context_to_item_serializers
+        array = [Profile.new({ name: 'Name 1', description: 'Description 1', comments: 'Comments 1' }),
+                 Profile.new({ name: 'Name 2', description: 'Description 2', comments: 'Comments 2' })]
+        serializer = ArraySerializer.new(array, context: { scope: current_user })
+
+        expected = [{ name: 'Name 1', description: 'Description 1 - user' },
+                    { name: 'Name 2', description: 'Description 2 - user' }]
+
+        assert_equal expected, serializer.serializable_array
+      end
+
+      private
+
+      def current_user
+        'user'
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/unit/active_model/array_serializer/scope_test.rb b/test/unit/active_model/array_serializer/scope_test.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index b9c6034f..00000000
--- a/test/unit/active_model/array_serializer/scope_test.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-require 'test_helper'
-
-module ActiveModel
-  class ArraySerializer
-    class ScopeTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
-      def test_array_serializer_pass_options_to_items_serializers
-        array = [Profile.new({ name: 'Name 1', description: 'Description 1', comments: 'Comments 1' }),
-                 Profile.new({ name: 'Name 2', description: 'Description 2', comments: 'Comments 2' })]
-        serializer = ArraySerializer.new(array, scope: current_user)
-
-        expected = [{ name: 'Name 1', description: 'Description 1 - user' },
-                    { name: 'Name 2', description: 'Description 2 - user' }]
-
-        assert_equal expected, serializer.serializable_array
-      end
-
-      private
-
-      def current_user
-        'user'
-      end
-    end
-  end
-end
diff --git a/test/unit/active_model/serializer/scope_test.rb b/test/unit/active_model/serializer/context_test.rb
similarity index 50%
rename from test/unit/active_model/serializer/scope_test.rb
rename to test/unit/active_model/serializer/context_test.rb
index dea6c114..060769d0 100644
--- a/test/unit/active_model/serializer/scope_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/active_model/serializer/context_test.rb
@@ -2,48 +2,45 @@ require 'test_helper'
 
 module ActiveModel
   class Serializer
-    class ScopeTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
-      def setup
-        @serializer = ProfileSerializer.new(nil, scope: current_user)
+    class ContextTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
+      def test_context_using_a_hash
+        serializer = UserSerializer.new(nil, context: { a: 1, b: 2 })
+        assert_equal(1, serializer.context[:a])
+        assert_equal(2, serializer.context[:b])
       end
 
-      def test_scope
-        assert_equal('user', @serializer.scope)
-      end
-
-      private
-
-      def current_user
-        'user'
+      def test_context_using_an_object
+        serializer = UserSerializer.new(nil, context: Struct.new(:a, :b).new(1, 2))
+        assert_equal(1, serializer.context.a)
+        assert_equal(2, serializer.context.b)
       end
     end
 
-    class NestedScopeTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
+    class ContextAssociationTest < ActiveModel::TestCase
       def setup
         @association = UserSerializer._associations[:profile]
         @old_association = @association.dup
         @user = User.new({ name: 'Name 1', email: 'mail@server.com', gender: 'M' })
-        @user_serializer = UserSerializer.new(@user, scope: 'user')
+        @user_serializer = UserSerializer.new(@user, context: { admin: true })
       end
 
       def teardown
         UserSerializer._associations[:profile] = @old_association
       end
 
-      def test_scope_passed_through
+      def test_context_passed_through
         @association.serializer_class = Class.new(ActiveModel::Serializer) do
           def name
-            scope
+            context[:admin] ? 'Admin' : 'User'
           end
 
           attributes :name
         end
 
         assert_equal({
-          name: 'Name 1', email: 'mail@server.com', profile: { name: 'user' }
+          name: 'Name 1', email: 'mail@server.com', profile: { name: 'Admin' }
         }, @user_serializer.serializable_hash)
       end
     end
-
   end
 end