Recasting the ‘new actors in development’ research agenda

The rising prominence of new state and non-state actors in development cooperation has stimulated extensive discussion over the last decade. This article reviews and critically reflects on the present and future directions of this body of scholarship. It questions the homogeneity of actor constellations, relationships and ideas as they are currently conceptualized. The article argues for the importance of adopting more analytically and conceptually diverse approaches to study the interaction between heterogeneous development actors and homogenizing forces, recognizing the complexity and (dis)continuities of stability and change in the field of development cooperation.