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A Space for Unlearning? A Relational Perspective on North–South Development Research

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  • Sarah C. White

    (University of Bath)

Abstract

The politics of knowledge is a foundational issue in development research. This includes questioning the processes through which knowledge is produced and the terms of the ‘partnerships’ or ‘collaborations’ involved. Such analyses tend to emphasise structural difference and can reproduce all too familiar tropes of dominating global North and deficit global South. This paper takes instead a relational perspective to investigate how such notions are generated, sustained and may be contested through interactions between people, and between people and their contexts. For data, the paper draws on experiences and observations related in a 2018–2019 workshop series on international collaborations in development research. It argues the need to go beyond a focus on ‘mentoring’ or ‘capacity building’ to explore the interactive generation of researcher selves; temper commitments to generalisability with recognition of the inherent value of the particular; and pay more attention to the unintended outcomes of research, and especially its production of waste.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah C. White, 2020. "A Space for Unlearning? A Relational Perspective on North–South Development Research," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 483-502, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:32:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1057_s41287-020-00278-9
    DOI: 10.1057/s41287-020-00278-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Diana Mitlin & Jhono Bennett & Philipp Horn & Sophie King & Jack Makau & George Masimba Nyama, 2020. "Knowledge Matters: The Potential Contribution of the Coproduction of Research," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 544-559, July.
    2. Tiina Kontinen & Ajali M. Nguyahambi, 2020. "Disrupting habits of North–South research collaboration: Learning in co-authoring," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 529-543, July.
    3. Tigist Grieve & Rafael Mitchell, 2020. "Promoting Meaningful and Equitable Relationships? Exploring the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Funding Criteria from the Perspectives of African Partners," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 514-528, July.
    4. Diana Mitlin & Jhono Bennett & Philipp Horn & Sophie King & Jack Makau & George Masimba Nyama, 0. "Knowledge Matters: The Potential Contribution of the Coproduction of Research," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    5. Tigist Grieve & Rafael Mitchell, 0. "Promoting Meaningful and Equitable Relationships? Exploring the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Funding Criteria from the Perspectives of African Partners," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 0, pages 1-15.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tiina Kontinen & Ajali M. Nguyahambi, 0. "Disrupting habits of North–South research collaboration: Learning in co-authoring," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 0, pages 1-15.
    2. Kablan P. Kacou & Lavagnon A. Ika & Lauchlan T. Munro, 2022. "Fifty years of capacity building: Taking stock and moving research forward," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(4), pages 215-232, October.
    3. Tiina Kontinen & Ajali M. Nguyahambi, 2020. "Disrupting habits of North–South research collaboration: Learning in co-authoring," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 529-543, July.

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