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An agenda for thinking about ‘race’ in development

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  • Uma Kothari

    (Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9QH, UK)

Abstract

This paper reveals some of the silences about ‘race’ in development ideologies, institutions and practices. It suggests that these mask the perpetuation of a racialized discourse in development, its complicity with broader historical and contemporary racial projects and the effects of ‘race’ on the processes and consequences of development. The paper provides an agenda for understanding development in terms of ‘race’ and identifies three potential areas for further investigation. The first is the continuing legacy of colonial constructions and the persistence of forms of racial difference and hierarchy in development. The second concerns the power of whiteness and specifically how authority, expertise and knowledge become racially symbolized. The third area for further examination is how ‘race’ is disguised through the use of specialized terminology and criteria in accounting for poverty and social exclusion. The paper concludes by suggesting that debates around multiculturalism and anti-racism could inform a shift away from racialized representations and inequalities prevailing in development.

Suggested Citation

  • Uma Kothari, 2006. "An agenda for thinking about ‘race’ in development," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 6(1), pages 9-23, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:prodev:v:6:y:2006:i:1:p:9-23
    DOI: 10.1191/1464993406ps124oa
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anthony Bebbington & Uma Kothari, 2006. "Transnational Development Networks," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(5), pages 849-866, May.
    2. Sarah Bracking, 2003. "Regulating Capital in Accumulation: Negotiating the Imperial 'Frontier'," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(95), pages 11-32, March.
    3. Janet G. Townsend & Gina Porter & Emma Mawdsley, 2002. "The role of the transnational community of non-government organizations: governance or poverty reduction?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(6), pages 829-839.
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