Defining Interdisciplinary Studies and Related Concepts

The Core of the Interdisciplinary Approach

Interdisciplinary studies is defined not just by what it studies, but by how it studies. It can be understood through three distinct dimensions: the purpose, the process, and the product.

1. The Purpose

The goal is to develop your cognitive capacity—your intellectual ability to think, perceive, analyze, and solve problems. Ultimately, the purpose is to apply this expanded understanding to real-world complexities.

2. The Process

Interdisciplinarity is a cognitive process. It involves drawing on disciplinary perspectives and performing the "crux" of the work: the integration of disciplinary insights. This is not a quick task; it requires developing specific capacities, such as:

• Deconstructing a problem to see its disciplinary parts.
• Detecting the assumptions and biases of different experts.
• Finding common ground between conflicting viewpoints.

3. The Product

The "product" of this work is a more comprehensive understanding. This might manifest as a new insight, a solution to a problem, or a new explanation that would have been impossible to reach using only a single discipline.

Exam Tip: If you are asked to define interdisciplinary studies, remember these five pillars: it is a cognitive process that draws on disciplinary perspectives, integrates insights, and advances understanding to apply it to a real-world problem.

Two Ways of Thinking: Instrumental vs. Critical

Scholars often approach interdisciplinarity from two different philosophical stances: instrumental and critical.

Instrumental Interdisciplinarity is a pragmatic, problem-solving approach. It focuses on how we can use different disciplines to find practical solutions. An instrumentalist might ask, "How can we improve urban traffic flow?" by integrating engineering and psychology.

Critical Interdisciplinarity takes a more questioning stance. It looks at the history and power structures behind the disciplines themselves. A critical thinker might ask, "Why are we trying to facilitate car traffic in the first place?" or investigate whether certain disciplines harbor gender or ethnic biases.

While they seem different, they are often complementary. Critical reflection can help an instrumentalist realize that their "solution" might be based on a biased disciplinary assumption.

Visualizing the Concept: Useful Metaphors

Because interdisciplinarity is an abstract concept, metaphors are frequently used to communicate its essence.

Summary: The Symbiotic Relationship

It is a mistake to view interdisciplinary studies as a replacement for disciplines. Instead, they are symbiotic. Disciplines provide the necessary "foundation" and "precondition" for interdisciplinary work by producing the specialized insights we rely on. In return, interdisciplinary studies can provide feedback to disciplines, helping them evolve and place their research in a broader, more meaningful context.