Paper short abstract:

The argument is that non-state actors should not be understood as a homogenous group. Rather, it is more helpful to make a differentiation between formal and informal non-state actors in cities of the global South where non-state actors play a developmental role in the realities of citizens.

Paper long abstract:

This paper discusses the concept of Non-State Actors (NSAs). The primary argument is that NSAs should not be debated as a homogenous group. Instead, it is more helpful to be specific when discussing non-state actors and drawing a distinction between making Non-State Actors and informal Non-State actors. The difference is significant in the context of the global South, where NSAs play an essential developmental role in the daily realities of citizens. Accordingly, the paper argues for the differentiation using the theory of understanding informality as a "site of critical analysis" by Banks et al. (2019). Understanding informality as a "site of critical analysis" means peeling the onion and moving beyond the status quo of merely perceiving informality as a function of the poor. The theoretical framework cautions against the normative idea that informality is inherently studying the poor. Informality goes beyond the poor, and this paper advances the perspective of informality as a "site of critical analysis" by using informal non-state actors. The critical analysis shows that the existence of informal non-state actors in the global South and the contribution thereof to development can be a function of solid informal institutions and results from weak formal institutions. This approach opens the space for informality studies to acknowledge the contribution of informal non-state actors based on the strength of informal institutions.