Dr. Arja Vainio-Mattila
Arja Vainio-Mattila
Associate Dean
Associate Professor, Centre for Global Studies
Dr. Arja Vainio-Mattila is originally from Finland, and came to Huron in 1998 following shorter stints of living in the UK, Sweden, Nepal, Italy, Kenya and Tanzania. Dr. Vainio-Mattila has worked in international development for over twenty years, mostly in Africa (English speaking, sub-Saharan) and less in Asia (Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Thailand and the Philippines), focusing on community-based natural resource management and infrastructure. Recently, she has become increasingly interested in the methodologies, strategies and policies that are used in international development and the discourses that inform the work.
In addition to teaching in the Centre for Global Studies at Huron and the Department of Women’s Studies at UWO, Dr. Vainio-Mattila is also the Canadian Project Director for “Civil Society Empowerment for Poverty Reduction” carried out in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam and funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). For more information, please visit the Tanzania Project website.
In her role as Associate Dean, Dr. Vainio-Mattila manages the Huron Academic Services Centre, ensuring that students have the tools they need to achieve success in their university careers and beyond. She also facilitates the process for creating the FASS Academic Plan.
Dr. Vainio-Mattila currently lives in London, Ontario with her partner Chantal, along with their two children, and a chocolate lab. For more information about Dr. Vainio-Mattila, please visit her website.
The possibility of empowering of women globally through international development initiatives is a central assumption underlying these efforts. This graduate course will explore how the discourses of gender and civil society perform within the context of global development. We will examine in particular issues such as: relationship between participation and empowerment, whether civil society performs as an agent, space or process, meaning of gender equality versus gender equity, and what gets promoted and/or obscured in development discourse as we engage with these emerging narratives
Vainio-Mattila, Arja (2009) "Internationalizing Curriculum: A New kind of education? New Directions for Teaching and Learning". Volume 118 June 2009. Jossey-Bass
Courses Taught in 2010-11:
Women’s Studies 9583: Gender and Civil Society
Recent Publications:
Articles:
Vainio-Mattila, A (2005) "Discourse on participation and donor promoted forms of collaboration" Vol.6 No.1, 2005:27-36 Tanzanian Journal of Development Studies
Vainio-Mattila, Arja & Kris Inwood & Aradhana Parmar (2004) "Perspectives on international development studies in Canadian universities: Canadian Consortium of University Programmes in International Development Studies (CCUPIDS)" Canadian Journal of Development Studies, Vol. XXIV, pp. 147-166
Books, Chapters and other Autonomous Publications:
Vainio-Mattila, Arja (2008) "Gender, Security and Fragile States: What Works in Gender Training?" 18p. Peacebuild Canada
Mattila, P. & Seppanen, M. & A. Vainio-Mattila & E. Vuola (2007) " Kehityksen sukupuoli, sukupuolen kehitys" ("Gender of development, development of gender") pp. 233-255 in Koponen, J. , Lanki, J. & Kervinen, A. (eds.) (2007) Kehitysmaatutkimus: johdatus perusteisiin (Development studies: An Introduction), 366p. Helsinki, Gaudeamus
Rathgerber, Eva & Vainio-Mattila, Arja (guest editors) (2005) "Special Issue: Gender and Development" including co-authored introduction "Whither GAD? New directions in Gender and Development" pp. 569-571 Volume XXVI, 2005, Canadian Journal of Development Studies
Faculty of Arts and Social Science Contacts:
Dr. Mark Blagrave
Dean, Arts and Social Science
Office: A108
Email: mblagrav@huron.uwo.ca
Know more about him
Dr. Arja Vainio-Mattila
Associate Dean, Arts and Social Science
Office: A209
Email: avainiom@huron.uwo.ca
Know more about her
Rebecca Mudge
Executive Assistant to the Dean
Office: A106
Email: rmudge2@huron.uwo.ca
Julie Bennett
Administrative Assistant to the Faculty of Arts and Social Science
Office: A15
Email: jbenne27@huron.uwo.ca
Lauren Kolodziejczak
Administrative Assistant to the Faculty of Arts and Social Science
Office: A15
Email: lkolodzi@huron.uwo.ca
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