Finnish Society for Development Research (FSDR) is a multidisciplinary scientific society which provides a\u00a0 meeting point for researchers and students of development studies and other academic fields in which development-related research are pursued. The society’s membership includes development scholars, practitioners and students, and is open to everyone who interested in development-related research and debates particularly in the “Global South”.<\/p>\n
The society promotes cooperation between universities and research centres both nationally and internationally. Its close partner in Finland is the Universities\u2019 Partnership for International Development (UniPID<\/a>). The society also cooperates with a range of Finnish non-governmental and governmental organizations working in the field of international development. It is also a member of The Federation of Finnish Learned Societies (TSV<\/a>).<\/p>\n As its main annual activity, the society organizes an international conference on a theme that reflects the topical and most engaging development debates of the day. As a member you can participate in the conferences at a reduced price. The society keeps you informed and offers collegial support to your scholarly aspirations at different levels. It also organizes a policy dialogue event each year. Members can order Forum for Development Studies – The Nordic Journal of Development Research (Routledge) at a reduced price. The society offers a channel to be part of the strengthening community of development research in Finland. Welcome!<\/p>\n What do we mean by Development Research?*<\/strong><\/p>\n Development research critically analyses development and the practices of \u201cdevelopmentalism\u201d as a complex of interests, discourses and actions, wherein people, movements, local struggles, and everyday lives are studied alongside \u201cofficial\u201d development policy and practice and development cooperation.<\/p>\n Traditionally, development studies as a field of research has focused on the study of \u2018problems\u2019 in the \u2018developing world\u2019. This understanding has in recent decades evolved to more critically consider the complex relationship between all societies, the roles played by various institutions and structures existing within and between them, and the effects these relations have on processes of social, economic, political, and environmental change and justice. The impact of global economic, political and social forces, and the processes of \u201cglobal development\u201d, seemingly now connect us all, but they also lead to different outcomes for a range of peoples and groups.<\/p>\n Today, critical perspectives in development studies have emerged that transcend the previous limitations of dominant Eurocentric constructions of development to recognize not only the definitions devised and promoted by the Global North, but also those being produced and practiced by the Global South, including by entirely different cultures and knowledge systems.<\/p>\n We, the Finnish Society for Development Research, see Development Research as an interdisciplinary field encompassing multiple points of view without any \u201chegemonic\u201d or exclusive school of thought on so-called \u2018development\u2019. Indeed, central to our field of research is the critical study of the construction of meanings of this core concept \u2013 development – and the resulting multiple interventions and policies.<\/p>\n One of our core purposes is to provide platforms and spaces for the open sharing and debate of development research and related findings. Our Society aims to provide researchers, students, and partners working in fields related to development with an inspiring, inclusive, and supportive community that stimulates dialogue, encourages thought-provoking insights, and promotes the exchange and combination of multiple thematic, theoretical and methodological approaches to interpret cultural, political, economic, environmental, and social change. We put great value on societal impact, and hope to contribute to better explanations and understandings of the highly complex and dynamic processes occurring throughout the world today \u2013 of societal transformations occurring within and across multiple scales, from local to global, and analysed from the perspectives of historical as well as contemporary contexts.<\/p>\n *This is an adapted and shortened version of a text prepared by the staff and students of Development Studies at the University of Helsinki in September 2018, which we were highly inspired by, and given permission to adopt and use for the purposes of communicating FSDR\u2019s stance on Development Research.<\/em><\/p>\n Membership<\/strong><\/p>\n The members of Finnish Society of Development Research (FSDR) are individuals and societies interested in academic and scientific Development Research. As a member you can join in FSDR’s events and participate in the annual Development Days conference at a reduced fee. Additionally all members get an email newsletter of the Society’s activities.<\/p>\n You can join the society, or renew your existing membership, by paying the membership fee to our account FI85 8000 1700 4897 44 (Danske Bank). The annual membership fee is 30 euros. The reduced membership fee of 15 Euros applies to BA and MA students, non-funded researchers as well as others for who paying the full membership fee presents a difficulty. All others pay the normal membership fee. Membership fee for societies 50 Euros. Please include “Membership – your name” in the reference text box.<\/p>\n After paying the fee, please fill out also the form that is below (see our privacy policy<\/a>). Please notify us, if your email address changes.<\/p>\n\n <\/p> <\/ul><\/div>\n