A study of development theories translated into practices and the resulting eviction of people occupying land by the road point out various reasons as to why individuals resist state directives. These include how long people have occupied specific land, whether the land is in a rural or urban setting, whether they have titles to occupy land, and the cultural meanings that people attach to land. This dissertation addresses one of the most contentious developmental and political issues now facing Tanzania and many Southern African countries, the privatization of land as a result of neo-liberal economic reforms and the evictions and conflict generated. There is a gap between laws and policies land, which are designed to protect the customary rights of indigenous African communities and individuals, and the actual policies and practices regarding land on the ground, which typically favor the interests of those pursuing large-scale development projects, including foreign investors and government officials. Despite the recent multi-party democratic reforms, ordinary people have not turned to their elected representative at the local or regional level or to NGOs as allies in the efforts to resist land evictions. To understand development as a concept and its outcome when translated into action, I analyzed development theories including modernization, dependency, world system, and new institutionalism. These four development theories prescribe different solutions to developing countries problems. As a result of the disconnection between the theories and what is happening on the ground, I drew on social movement theories to understand local people reactions toward development programs. The study also explores the relationship among land stakeholders in Tanzania and analyzes how uncoordinated relationships among state officials lead to conflict over land. It also shows gender inequality in land access and ownership and how women used their position as women to frame their resistance to attract the attention of not only the media and the government of Tanzania but also the international community. A central finding is that for land development programs to be of benefit to the targeted population, all involved stakeholders should be involved in the process.