ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on tentative step towards a re-evaluation of the nature and development of urban society in Dar es Salaam, and in particular the relation between colonial urban policies premised on 'race' and the forms of urban social identity and social organization which developed. Contemporaneous with categorical distinctions based on race, religion and ethnicity there occurred new avenues for social mobility created by the introduction of Christian mission schools. However, while a small nucleus of landlords was at the centre of this investment, reports and community interviews suggest that investment in housing was perceived as the ideal form of a secure investment and that many Asian families invested in housing. In addition, a great deal of tension existed between patrons and their client/employees over wages, work and housing conditions. Colonial policy sought to 'domesticate' African women, while both the administration and African males sought to control urban women.
