R: American Education (answer to Greg Burch)

From: scerir (scerir@libero.it)
Date: Sun Sep 01 2002 - 10:50:31 MDT


        Amara
        But notice that 'inter-disciplinary' means
        different things to different groups.

'Inter-disciplinary'. Often I ask myself "there is such
a thing?". Because sometimes there is nothing 'inter',
in between. 'Multi-disciplinary' is, perhaps, a better
term? Plus, of course, the ability to 'synthesize' highly
specialised information. Organizing material 'by themes'
helps people (and students) make 'connections'. The general
systems theory of Ludwig von Bertalanffy was, perhaps, an
abstract approach, in this direction, many years ago.
s.

"Life is interdisciplinary. People don't organize
life by disciplines."
- Cathy Davidson

[I think people don't organize life at all]

"Interdisciplinarity is not the calm of an easy security; it begins
effectively when the solidarity of the old disciplines breaks down
in the interests of a new object and a new language."
- Roland Barthes

"Interdisciplinary studies... do not merely confront already constituted
disciplines (none of which, as a matter of fact, consents to leave off).
In order to do interdisciplinary work, it is not enough to take a 'subject'
(a theme) and to arrange two or three sciences around it. Interdisciplinary
study consists in creating a new object, which belongs to no one."
- Roland Barthes

[He may be right. Information theory. Is this a "new object"?]



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