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This paper reviews and revives a longstanding conversation about race and development studies, which was prominently explored in a collection of papers on race and racism in the journal Progress in Development Studies back in 2006. This revival is timely in the context of a global call to decolonise higher education. Given the central logic of race and racism in European colonialism, and the decolonial argument that colonialism continues in the production and value of knowledge, I examine the presence and absence of race and racism in discussions of decolonising higher education and in development studies. Through a systematic review and content analysis of papers published in six major development studies journals over the past 13 years, I identify where and how race is present in current development scholarship and explore the implications of this for a decolonial turn in development studies.

The delivery of housing to low income citizens across South Africa reflects the state’s realisation of citizens’ social rights to housing and can help to strengthen a citizen’s sense of belonging. Additionally, through the very processes of housing delivery, such as decentralised mechanisms with strong community participation, principles of inclusive citizenship are forged and enacted. However, it is argued in this paper that because housing allocation is devolved and power granted to local elites, an important aspect of citizenship-making has also been devolved with insufficient checks and balances. The paper cautions that the decision-making of local elites who determine access to housing and thus the realisation of citizenship rights, is mitigated by their subjectivities. Based on case studies of selected settlements in eThekwini (Durban), the paper examines how residents access housing in slum upgrade programmes. It finds that, beyond national eligibility criteria additional localised criteria are evident which demand that residents use their identity and social relationships to both provide evidence of their eligibility and negotiate access. The paper further cautions that these local processes may be sowing seeds of conflict by propagating existing social tensions, particularly around ethno- and xenophobia, and party political contests. Such conflict ultimately undermines citizenship ideals.

Development studies, with its focus on the human condition in the global south, employs theories, analytical tools and teaching methods often found in geography, including the international fieldtrip which is taken to a 'developing' country. In 2013 and 2014 I led a two-week trip to Ethiopia with 60-70 students on a UK masters programme. In 2013, a worrying yet fascinating conversation with a student (recounted below), prompted me to reflect on epistemologies of 'the field' in international fieldtrips (especially to countries normatised as 'developing'), particularly the expectation among students and instructors that 'the field' is a place of difference punctuated by "exotic" encounters. To better comprehend the effects of 'the field' on students' learning, in 2014, I introduced an assessed reflexive field diary to understand what the fieldtrip experience teaches students about themselves and their relationship to the field. In this paper I present critical reflections on 'the field' in development studies fieldtrips drawing upon students' diary entries and geography literature that speaks to a provocative concept -'the tropics'. These reflections illuminate prevailing challenges in the study and practice of development and suggest a way forward.

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