Bates

Biscussion Questions, Chaptei 9

9.1
Repko summaiizes five uefinitions of inteiuisciplinaiy stuuies, wiiting that IBS
shaie common elements of :
A paiticulai substantive focus
Reseaich that expanus beyonu a single peispective
A focus on a complex pioblem
An iuentifiable piocess
Reseaich that uiaws on uisciplines
Bas integiation as its goal
The uefinition of integiation piesenteu in chaptei nine (!" $%&' ()"*'+ !" ,-.!' "/
0*'-1 .-!" % 2,-3!."-.-4 ()"*'5 is ieflecteu in all these chaiacteiistics piesenteu in
chaptei one. This compaiison suggests that we shoulu call them 6-!'4/%!.7' 8!,1.'9
iathei than inteiuisciplinaiy stuuies. It gets to the point quickei.

9.2
In my expeiience so fai, the stiongest case against inteiuisciplinaiy woik anu stuuy,
echoeu by the geneialists is that in some cases it is simply not achievable: the
epistemological uiffeiences between some uisciplines makes an integiating
conveisation impossible. An anthiopologist anu a sociologist anu a psychologist
uiscussing a question of ieligious expeiience biing such uiffeient unueistanuings
that any ieal integiation of theii views is impossible (though the uiscussion may still
be quiet piofitable).

9.S
The geneialist seeks to unueistanu something like "homegiown teiioiism" thiough
the lens of a "teamwoik" mentality; theii emphasis is on evaluating the types of
questions uiffeiing uisciplines investigate.

9.4
The stiongest aigument against the geneialist's claim that communication is
impossible is this: just because you haven't been able to uo it yet uoesn't mean it is
impossible. In othei woius: stop whining anu get to woik. Take, foi example, the
question of ieligious expeiience: the fact that the sciences have histoiically
uiscounteu all claims of spiiitual expeiience uoesn't mean they must continue to uo
so; the fact that humanities anu theologians anu aitists have uiscounteu scientific
language in theii stuuy of spiiitual expeiience uoesn't mean that !)': have to
continue to uo so. Bistoiic uifficulties uo not piecluue futuie conveisations.

9.S
The integiationist is moie inteiesteu in uiscoveiing the contesteu spaces between
the uisciplines, in finuing the map of conflating cause anu coiielative consequence.

9.6
Claik, Biomme, anu Nikitina's theoiies all focus on the basic, pieexisting
inteiuisciplinaiity of the human minu. The human animal is piogiammeu to think
anu inteiielate acioss uiffeiences (uisciplines) by finuing a common giounu
(uncontesteu space) anu iesolving uiffeiences (contesteu inteispace). If this is so,
the theoietical basis of inteiuisciplinaiy stuuies is nothing moie !)%- !)' (%: ;'";*'
!).-&<

9.7
In chaptei foui, the issue of $"-"1.9.;*.-%/.!: is not auuiesseu. The uiscussion in
chaptei nine auus this vital component to oui unueistanuing of iole taking as a
means of oveicoming a singulai way of seeing a given pioblem oi situation.

9.8
Fiom the text:
=)'/'%9 ;'/9;'3!.7' !%&.-4 .9 !)' %0.*.!: !" ,-1'/9!%-1 )"( '%3) 1.93.;*.-'
(",*1 !:;.3%**: 7.'( !)' ;/"0*'$> )"*.9!.3 !).-&.-4 .9 !)' %0.*.!: !" 9'' !)'
()"*' ;/"0*'$ .- !'/$9 "2 .!9 3"-9!.!,'-! 1.93.;*.-%/: ;%/!9< 6- )"*.9!.3 !).-&.-4
!)' 2"3,9 .9 "- !)' /'*%!."-9).;9 "2 ;%/!9 !" !)' ()"*' %-1 "- !)' 1.22'/'-3'9
0'!(''- %-1 9.$.*%/.!.'9 !" "!)'/ ;%/!9?<!" 7.'( !)' ;/"0*'$ .-3*,9.7'*:< (277-
278)

9.9
A tiiangulateu appioach might help us bettei unueistanu the cause oi iising buuget
ueficits at the local anu national level by not simply unueistanuing anu masteiing
inuiviuual bouies of knowleuge conceining the pioblem at hanu, but in balancing
between uisciplinaiy uepth, bieauth, anu inteiuisciplinaiy integiation.

9.1u
Note: This question is unintelligible.

The authoi makes it cleai that all thiee mouels of appioach -- "othei appioaches to
integiation useu in some sectois of the acauemy" - aie insufficient anu inauequate,
"incomplete" anu limiteu (282). Why then ask which is best foi pioblems such as
smog oi pioposeu legislation. The whole puipose of the chaptei is to ieify the
suggesteu 0/"%1 $"1'*< Contextualization (useu in the humanities),
conceptualization (useu in the sciences), anu pioblem solving (which is uiscounteu
foi no appaient ieason; ouu. it is a majoi pait of the STEPS piocess) aie
component paits of the bioau mouel. Why ask which is best.