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International Society for Dialogical Science

Since the early 1990s there has been a growing interest in the study of the dialogical self stimulated by scientific developments in the broader areas of self and dialogue. The study of dialogical processes is of unprecedented importance in an era in which dialogical relationships, between and within people, are at the heart of living together in a globalizing world community. This consideration has led researchers to establish an organization with the aim of facilitating communication on an international basis. Against this background the International Society for Dialogical Science was founded in June 2002. The Society was formally constituted as a foundation under Dutch law in June 2002 and registered at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 09129112. The board of the foundation consists of professor Frans Wijsen (chair), Professor Toon van Meijl and professor Hubert Hermans, affiliated to Radboud University, Nijmegen.

Objectives

The objectives of the Society are:

a. The stimulation and facilitation of interaction between researchers and practitioners who are interested in the facilitation of dialogical processes in the self, in society and between cultures in a globalizing world;

b. The construction and further development of dialogical self theory and other theories which deal directly with the relationship between self and dialogue.

c. The development of scientific methods for assessment, promotion, and evaluation of dialogical processes in connection with the development of the self.

d. Bringing together theories, methods, research and practice from different psychological subdisciplines and related disciplines which deal with the topics mentioned under a and b. The following subdisciplines and disciplines are considered to be particularly relevant to this goal: personality psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, psychogerontology, psychology of culture & religion, clinical psychology, psychotherapy, personnel psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, brain sciences, humanities, social anthropology, sociology, philosophy, history, theology, and art.

e. International cooperation in the areas as described under a, b and c and between representatives from the subdisciplines and discplines mentioned under d.


Communication about information concerning planned and current research and practice.  In the service of these objectives  the Society organizes regular conferences, symposia, and workshops, distributes newsletters, and publishes articles in the section Dialogical Self Theory of the Journal of Constructivist Psychology.

    International Conferences

    The organization of international conferences is one of the aims of the Society

    • The First International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-1) was organized by the University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, in June 2000. Participants from 15 countries presented 80 contributions.

    • The Second International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-2) was organized by Ghent University, Belgium, in October 2002. 150 participants from 21 countries proposed 102 contributions.
    • The Third International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-3) was organized by the Warsaw School of Social Psychology and the Catholic University of Lublin in August, 2004. Approximately 170 participants from 30 countries attended the TICDS and made 163 contributions.
    • The Fourth International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-4) was held June 1-3, 2006 at the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. There were 185 participants from 27 countries and 187 total presentations made at ICDS-4.
    • The Fifth International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-5) was held August 26-29, 2008 at Queens College, Cambridge University, United Kingdom. There were 300 participants from 43 countries at the ICDS-5.
    • The Sixth International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-6) was held Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2010 at the President Hotel, Athens, Greece under the co-sponsorship of ISDS and the Institute for Cognitive Analytic Psychotherapy (Greece). A total of 230 participants from 35 countries and 207 presentations marked the ICDS-6.
    • The Seventh International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-7) was held 25-28 October, 2012 in Athens, Georgia, USA. There were 109 participant from 27 countries. 
    • The Eighth International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-8) was organized 19-22 August, 2014 by The Hague University of Applied Science. There were 277 participants from 35 countries. 
    • The Ninth International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-9) was held  7-10 September, 2016, at the John Paul University in Lublin, Poland. There were 275 participants from 36 countries. 
    • The 10th International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-10) was organized  13-17 June, 2018 by the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, in cooperation with the ISDS and the Constructivist Psychology Network. There were 237 participants from 38 countries.

    • The 11th International Conference on the Dialogical Self (ICDS-11) is scheduled 10-13 June, 2020, at the Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences, Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain. This conference is organised by the Research Group SINTE, Facultat de Psicologia, Ciències de la Educació i Esport. Universitat Ramon LLull and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
    • The 12th International Conference on the Dialogical Self ICDS-12) took place 4-7 June, 2024 at the University of Tallinn, Estonia, in cooperation with the ISDS. There were 141 participants from 30 countries. 


    The next conference will be organized by Thessaloniki University, Greece, beginning September, 2026. When you have proposals, you can contact Hubert Hermans as chair of the scientific committee.


    Following this pattern, the ISDS proposes to organize an international conference every second year in different countries. Each conferences is combined with pre- and post-conference workshops, training courses and other activities.


    Bylaws of the International Society for Dialogical Science 

    I. Title

    The full name of the society is the International Society for Dialogical Science, herein after referred to as the Society.  It was formally constituted under Dutch law in 2002 and the Board of the International Society for Dialogical Science Foundation (hereafter ‘Foundation’) legally operates the ISDS.

    The Executive Committee of the ISDS runs the day-to-day affairs of the Society.  The Executive Committee is elected by the membership however the Board of the Foundation must approve the elected Committee members.


    II. Aim and Objectives

    1. The stimulation and facilitation of interaction between researchers and practitioners who are interested in the facilitation of dialogical processes in the self, in society and between cultures in a globalizing world.

    2. The construction and further development of Dialogical Self Theory and other theories which deal directly with the relationship between self and dialogue.

    3. The development of scientific methods for assessment, promotion, and evaluation of dialogical processes in connection with the development of the self.

    4. Bringing together theories, methods, research and practice from different psychological subdisciplines and related disciplines which deal with the topics mentioned under 1, 2 and 3. The following subdisciplines and disciplines are considered to be particularly relevant to this goal: personality psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, psychogerontology, psychology of culture & religion, clinical psychology, psychotherapy, personnel psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, brain sciences, humanities, social anthropology, sociology, philosophy, history, theology, and art.

    5. International cooperation in the areas as described under 1, 2 and 3 and between representatives from the subdisciplines and disciplines mentioned under 4.

    6. Communication about information concerning planned and current research and practice.  In the service of these objectives the Society organizes regular conferences, symposia, and workshops, distributes newsletters, and publishes articles in the section Dialogical Self Theory of the Journal of Constructivist Psychology.

    7.  The Society will define dialogical science very broadly: It comprises at least the study of the self as social in origin and dialogical in its potential. The Society also studies the historical development and background of dialogism.


    III. Membership

    1. Membership of the ISDS is open for all persons with an academic degree in any of the social sciences and to others to whom the aim of the ISDS is academically, professionally or practically relevant.

    2. The Executive Committee decides on the admission of a member, a decision normally delegated to the Treasurer, upon payment of the required fees.

    3. Membership is terminated by death, the member’s voluntary withdrawal, or a decision taken by the ISDS Executive Committee.

    4. Termination of membership, whether by the member or the ISDS Executive Committee, requires a written announcement, at least four weeks before the end of the financial year. When the withdrawal is too late, the membership continues until the end of the following financial year.

    5. When the membership ends in the course of a financial year, the member will receive no refund on their membership fees.


    IV. Executive Committee

    1. The Committee includes two Members-at-Large, in addition to the President, the Past President, Vice-President, and the Secretary-Treasurer. Members-at-large are elected by the membership for two-year terms, renewable once, with the possibility of a second renewal in some cases.  Membership is staggered so as to ensure both continuity and renewal. 

    2. The President and Vice-President shall be elected from a slate determined by the Executive Committee.  After two years the President will become the Past-President. 

    3. The Executive Committee will be nominated at the ISDS Business Meeting held at the biennial conference. No member can serve on the Committee for more than six consecutive years (as per 1, above, unless the Executive Committee agrees to a renewal beyond this).  Half of the Executive Committee will be chosen at each biennial meeting of the ISDS.  Half will remain on. 

    4. Following the election of the Executive Committee, the Foundation will receive the names for approval.

    V. Meeting

    1. The ISDS Business Meeting will be held during the international conference held every two years. The annual meeting for the yearly reports will be held by teleconference in-between biennial conferences. Committee Meetings will receive written notice of the meeting and an agenda at least seven days before the date of the meeting.

    2. The meetings will be chaired by the President or, if not present, by the Past-President or the member serving the longest term.


    VI. Alteration

    The ISDS by-laws may be changed at the ISDS Business Meeting with a vote in favour from two-thirds of those members present.  Notice of a vote for a change in the by-laws must be presented prior to the Business Meeting.  The Board must also approve any changes.

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