What I've Learned So Far, as an Interdisciplinary Major
I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to be an interdisciplinary studies major at The University of Cincinnati. I really enjoyed my time in Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies class with Professor John Brolley. Before I started my major, and took this class to learn more about interdisciplinary studies, I was not certain exactly what it was. Due to a lot of reading, writing, and listening to Professor Brolley's lectures, I can now say that I have a pretty good understanding of what it is. I learned about the definition of interdisciplinary studies in-depth, and about the different types of interdisciplinary work. I learned about the importance of being competent, having a broad base of knowledge, and being able to speak the 'language' of the disciplines you are involved with. Most importantly, I learned about the importance of interdisciplinary studies in solving complex problems that face humanity.
Interdisciplinary studies is a way to combine together different areas of knowledge to create new connections, ideas, and outcomes. There are different ways of combining disciplines, and of course, the combination of disciplines will vary based on who is working in interdisciplinary studies. Being able to find a way that works for your unique type of interdisciplinary studies is very important. Of course you can always change your approach to suite the situation you are facing, but interdisciplinary work is a flexible way of exploring possibilities, and seeking new solutions. The outcomes from this type of work will be different for each interdisciplinarian, and that is part of what makes interdisciplinary studies so effective. There is the opportunity to be really innovative and unique with this type of work.
It is important to be knowledgable and educated within your areas of study, if you want to be effective in your work. I think interdisciplinary studies works well for people like me, who like to learn on their own. I love learning. It is important to develop a good foundation to build upon in interdisciplinary studies (as it is with any type of work.) By developing personal strategies to approach learning, an interdisciplinarian can build a solid base level of knowledge in any field and continue to expand upon that. It is not ideal to jump into the deep end of the pool if you don't already know how to swim. To really get to a point of understanding and communication about any subject, it is ideal to be able to understand the language (or jargon) of what you are studying. That makes it easier to acquire knowledge from others in the field, and communicate with them. Once you have a good understanding of something and you wish to share it with others, metaphor can be a helpful way to explain what you know in the simplest and most effective way.
This last point I will discuss is very important. Interdisciplinary studies is an ideal way to approach big unsolved problems. Often the reason there are still big unsolved problems is because the approach taken, thus far, has not been effective. To solve the problem a knowledgable outsider might be necessary. I see interdisciplinarians as having the potential to fulfill this role. We are people who seek out spaces between current fields of study and explore new frontiers. Once we find those new areas we can spend time working in them. This is the way that interdisciplinary studies can be helpful in tracking down and developing new insight into old problems. Sometimes you need to see the problem from a different perspective.
I have learned many things about interdisciplinary studies. It offers the opportunity to be innovative. It offers the opportunity for deeply insightful new research. It offers the opportunity to connect areas of study to solve big problems. I now see interdisciplinary studies as an important part of my own intellectual work, my future career, and my life. I will continue to learn, and hopefully work towards solving some big problems!
Here is some of my writing from class about problem solving:
I wrote about a complex problem I solved in the past, and the effort it took.
One complex problem I have dealt with is the creation of my nearly self-sufficient aquatic snail ecosystem tank. It started out as just a normal fish tank. (There was one larger aquatic snail with the fish.) I was trying to set it up with lots of plants so that the fish waste would feed the plants, and then it would require fewer water changes. I set the whole thing up, with pebbles on the bottom, and lots of plants. And, then, the fish ate the plants. So I added more plants, I was very patient with the fish and persistent with my plan. I should add that I also did a lot of research ahead of time, and I thought I could make it work somehow. Ultimately, I decided to remove the fish, because they were bothering the aquatic snail, continued to eat almost all the expensive aquarium plants, and they needed a bigger tank at that point. Lo and behold, as soon as the fish moved out, there were a ton of smaller pond snails growing that had come in on some plants. They were now able to live without being eaten. I added a few more plants, and soon enough the snail tank was a nearly self-sufficient ecosystem. (I add a small amount of food every week, or two, and some other nutrients for the plants, and I take plants out for my goldfish to eat. There is also a small air-pump sponge filter.) All of this happened about a year ago and took several months of trial and error to sort out. I continue to test the water, but it doesn't require changes because the plants absorb the waste. It didn't turn out exactly how I would have hoped, and it's not perfect, but it did work out. It required me to adapt my expectations and my plans, but I am glad I made it work.
I discussed possible solutions to real world complex problems.
One complex problem I can think of is environmental pollution. Two disciplines that can help us address this issue are business and design. Currently there is some pressure from consumers for businesses to utilize more sustainable practices, and develop better ways to support our environment. The major driver, in my view, of pollution is a lack of consideration for the environment when producing goods. The consumer product industry needs to adapt to a changing understanding of our environment, and our impact on it. The motivation to do better has to come from the consumer, because corporations (the ones creating a lot of the pollution) are not people, but somewhat mindless money making 'artificial intelligences.' We feed them with our consumer habits, and they need us to change. If we add in the 'programming' of making more environmentally beneficial choices an essential part of doing business, then change will happen.
Design can help with this, because it can be a major driver of consumer choices. People buy products because the packaging is appealing, or because the advertising/marketing is designed to attract them. These designed systems of generating desire for products only get more complex with time. Tracking consumer data can provide corporations with a lot of information about people and what they respond to. If designers have the power to influence consumer habits, then I think that the ethics of design can play a big role in creating demand for products that have less of a negative impact on the environment. Packaging is something created by designers, and designers can push for more environmentally friendly options with the companies they work with. In the same way there are some essential paradoxical elements to interdisciplinary studies, I do think that the disciplines that have caused some of the problems we are dealing with can be modified and restructured to work for a better future.
One complex problem I have dealt with is the creation of my nearly self-sufficient aquatic snail ecosystem tank. It started out as just a normal fish tank. (There was one larger aquatic snail with the fish.) I was trying to set it up with lots of plants so that the fish waste would feed the plants, and then it would require fewer water changes. I set the whole thing up, with pebbles on the bottom, and lots of plants. And, then, the fish ate the plants. So I added more plants, I was very patient with the fish and persistent with my plan. I should add that I also did a lot of research ahead of time, and I thought I could make it work somehow. Ultimately, I decided to remove the fish, because they were bothering the aquatic snail, continued to eat almost all the expensive aquarium plants, and they needed a bigger tank at that point. Lo and behold, as soon as the fish moved out, there were a ton of smaller pond snails growing that had come in on some plants. They were now able to live without being eaten. I added a few more plants, and soon enough the snail tank was a nearly self-sufficient ecosystem. (I add a small amount of food every week, or two, and some other nutrients for the plants, and I take plants out for my goldfish to eat. There is also a small air-pump sponge filter.) All of this happened about a year ago and took several months of trial and error to sort out. I continue to test the water, but it doesn't require changes because the plants absorb the waste. It didn't turn out exactly how I would have hoped, and it's not perfect, but it did work out. It required me to adapt my expectations and my plans, but I am glad I made it work.
I discussed possible solutions to real world complex problems.
One complex problem I can think of is environmental pollution. Two disciplines that can help us address this issue are business and design. Currently there is some pressure from consumers for businesses to utilize more sustainable practices, and develop better ways to support our environment. The major driver, in my view, of pollution is a lack of consideration for the environment when producing goods. The consumer product industry needs to adapt to a changing understanding of our environment, and our impact on it. The motivation to do better has to come from the consumer, because corporations (the ones creating a lot of the pollution) are not people, but somewhat mindless money making 'artificial intelligences.' We feed them with our consumer habits, and they need us to change. If we add in the 'programming' of making more environmentally beneficial choices an essential part of doing business, then change will happen.
Design can help with this, because it can be a major driver of consumer choices. People buy products because the packaging is appealing, or because the advertising/marketing is designed to attract them. These designed systems of generating desire for products only get more complex with time. Tracking consumer data can provide corporations with a lot of information about people and what they respond to. If designers have the power to influence consumer habits, then I think that the ethics of design can play a big role in creating demand for products that have less of a negative impact on the environment. Packaging is something created by designers, and designers can push for more environmentally friendly options with the companies they work with. In the same way there are some essential paradoxical elements to interdisciplinary studies, I do think that the disciplines that have caused some of the problems we are dealing with can be modified and restructured to work for a better future.