[Xmca-l] Re: Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity

[Peter]

Hello,

I was thinking about this recently when writing a grant proposal on a"sustainability" project. Sustainability has replaced "green", "Eco" and other keywords as a catchall term for socially and environmentally responsible engagement with the world. Its a concept that can be integrated into any traditional discipline, but not necessarily emanating from one of them in particular, I think it truly does represent a transdisciplinary notion. Something like environmental studies is interdisciplinary in nature because it pulls from various disciplines and is integrated in a new one. Sustainability studies on the other hand can reside within disciplines such as history, geography, philosophy etc. 

Sustainability studies would also fit the definition you mention about a discipline that seeks to eliminate itself.

I suppose globalization studies, which seem to be growing in popularity, would be another example of this type of transdisciplinary concept

Best,

Peter

> On Feb 25, 2015, at 7:10 AM, Annalisa Aguilar <annalisa@unm.edu> wrote:
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> I would agree with you David Ki, but for Transdisciplinary, I'd say it is a discipline that doesn't quite fit anywhere because it bisects many different disciplines.
> 
> For example, in the arts we have painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, video, film, then there is multimedia which borrows from all the others, such as with conceptual art, which is attempting to use the other mediums for a particular purpose alongside the other mediums. I'd say this is analogous to cross-disciplinary.
> 
> However performance art is all and neither of these mediums because performance art transcends the others as it uses the human body along with the environment and it is time-based and usually temporary. Consider Joseph Beuys, for example, using a dead hare and himself. So this would be analogous to transdisciplinary.
> 
> I'd not call opera transdisciplinary, but multimedia, because it's more about the music, most of all, one can enjoy the opera without the stage or knowing who the performers are. The opera is recast and repurposed but it is always interpretive of the original score.
> 
> I'd suggest a discipline whose purpose is to eliminate itself would be possibly transdisciplinary. Or disciplines that incorporate activism, to take the knowledge out into the streets, possibly, perhaps peace studies. 
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Annalisa
> 
>