Abstract
Our purpose is to present and test a typology of land reform theories as a means of understanding and interrogating the motives behind land reform and to better equip land administrators and policymakers to enact land reform programs that are appropriate for their contexts. Here, land reform is understood to include the related concepts of land redistribution, land restitution, land tenure reform and land administration reform. The theory typology thus has application for land restitution programs specifically operating in the global South. The continuum of theories is derived from literature and tested through a multiple case study of land reform in Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa, drawing from a combination of primary and secondary data. The findings suggest an over-reliance on replacement theories in all three contexts, although the Mozambican experience draws on theories towards the middle of the continuum (the adaptation theories). This is recommended as the most viable approach for the context.
Highlights
Change agents tend to adopt methods with which they are familiar and that were successful in the past
We present a continuum of theories informing land reform in customary land rights and tenure contexts
We propose that interventions aimed at strengthening or improving land administration, land rights recordal, and/or the cadaster should begin with understanding the theory underlying the intervention and how this aligns with the lived experience of customary land rights-holders
Summary
Change agents tend to adopt methods with which they are familiar and that were successful in the past. Methods are motivated without reference to underlying theoretical positions which are often derived from the academic background or professional domain of the change agent. Such theoretical positions underlie and inform land development, albeit without acknowledgement. Conscious decisions at the theory level and understanding the impact of theory on methods and practice, are important for successful land reform. We propose a typology of theories that underlie land reform initiatives and a method for interrogating the process and outcomes to uncover the underlying theory
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