In a second article for the website phd2published.com, I wanted to briefly explore the issue of interdisciplinarity, why it is important and how we, as the bright young academic things we are (!) can practice it. Whether I will be able to assimilate rock music, yoga and the Victorian novel into a coherent argument, I am still unsure, but I am definitely looking for new ways to analyse and broaden the scope of my own research.
Recently I went to an Iron Maiden gig in Nottingham. Earlier in the day I had attended a yoga class and had then grabbed some sushi for lunch. Not owning an ‘Eddie’ top I decided to wear my Peter Gabriel 2003 tour t-shirt instead. An insightful friend called me ‘eclectic’ and I must admit that in all areas of life I rejoice in my slightly unusual day-to-day combinations: a lover of progressive rock but also a former classical soprano, a devotee of professional wrestling but also a reader of verbose Victorian novels. My friend is clearly right…I am nothing if not eclectic. This approach (call it eccentric if you will) actually impacts my work daily and I am starting to feel its effects more and more keenly.
In my last article for ‘PhD2published’ I briefly mentioned the importance of developing an interdisciplinary approach, of connecting our work with (or at least reading it alongside) the ideas of others outside of our immediate field. In this article I want to briefly begin to explore why and how this can be done.
Why Interdisciplinarity?
More and more universities are encouraging lecturers to work together, collaborating across traditional disciplinary barriers. At my own institution we are thinking about a ‘low wall’ strategy, schools and departments that are inextricably connected together. To develop this perspective early on in our work means that we are already tapping into university agendas.
Going down dark alleys (in the scholarly sense) was a crucial part of my PhD. For me it meant two weeks reading books about Mancunian social history for no other reason than I had become obsessed with Engels’ The Condition of the Working Class. I find that, amidst a sea of marking, funding deadlines and the impending REF (in the UK), we can lose this spirit of adventure. Developing an interdisciplinary approach forces us to retrace our steps down these alleys or find new paths. (Read more)