Definition of interdisciplinarity – What it is, Meaning and Concept

It is known as interdisciplinarity to quality of interdisciplinary (that is, what is carried out from the implementation of several disciplines). The term, it is said, was developed by the sociologist Louis wirtz and it would have been made official for the first time in 1937.

Interdisciplinarity supposes the existence of a group of disciplines related to each other and with previously established links, which prevent actions from being developed in an isolated, dispersed or segmented way. It is a dynamic process that seeks to find solutions to different difficulties in research.

Relevance of interdisciplinarity

The importance of interdisciplinarity appears with the scientific-technical development itself, which led to the emergence of multiple scientific branches. This dynamic made the need to integrate situations and aspects to generate knowledge is increasing.

Although the first to mention this term was Louis Wirtz (in 1937), a theory consistent in the ’70s. Smirnov did so, developing the ontological and epistemological bases of this concept. In this study, he determined the importance of social integration, and assured that in order to really understand it, it was necessary to establish a new way of facing the knowledge.

A comprehensive approach

Thanks to interdisciplinarity, the objects of study are approached comprehensively and the development of new methodological approaches for problem solving is promoted.

In other words, it can be said that interdisciplinarity offers a methodological framework that is based on the systematic exploration of the fusion of theories, instruments and formulas of scientific relevance related to different disciplines that arise from the multidimensional approach to each phenomenon.

Examples of interdisciplinarity

An example of an interdisciplinary science is oceanography, which is dedicated to the analysis of biological, physical, geological and chemical procedures that take place in the oceans and seas. Another example is the medical mathematics, an interdisciplinary field of science in which mathematics serve to explain phenomena, procedures or facts related to medicine or biology.

In any case, at present, all sciences pursue interdisciplinarity when it comes to deepening and enhancing themselves. In fact, it is considered a fundamental element if you want to finish a creative and innovative work.

Inter, multi and transdisciplinarity

Some authors include multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity within interdisciplinarity, others prefer to elaborate the three concepts separately. The latter, ensure that they consist of absolutely different processes and that to be understood they must be analyzed in isolation. In any case, they agree with the first in that all these concepts are similar in one thing, in that they are indispensable for learning, the practice holistic and the development of abilities.

The multidisciplinarity refers to the search for knowledge, the desire to develop those skills that could exist but which have not been given importance. It proposes the exhaustive analysis of the same thing through different fields to get to have a wide knowledge of her. For example, a high school student who goes to math, science and literature classes and also plays sports, gets a multidisciplinary education.

The interdisciplinarity refers to the ability to combine various disciplines, that is, to interconnect them and thus expand the advantages that each one offers. It refers not only to the application of theory in practice, but also to the integration of several fields in the same work. From the educational point of view, for example, activities are proposed to promote learning combining various areas, such as music and mathematics, which will help students to associate concepts and obtain a comprehensive and non-fragmented education.

Finally, the transdisciplinarity it refers to the set of holistic practices that transcend the normal labels of knowledge, without ignoring them. It is about understanding the pluralistic nature of things and dealing with knowledge without thinking about different disciplines, but focusing on the object of study. Analyzing it from the educational point of view, we can say that a fundamental objective that teachers should have is to get students to focus on the object of knowledge, without underestimating the different areas but without approaching the study from a centralist perspective, but rather open and integrative.

Interdisciplinarity to avoid centralization

That said, it should be noted that even if the three concepts are analyzed separately or together, they all refer to the importance of not centralizing thought in a science but to integrate several sciences in that study. Some synonyms about the idea of ​​interdisciplinarity can be a reason for unity, reciprocal relationships, integration of scientific disciplines, method transfer from one science to another, among many others.

Finally, it should be clarified that interdisciplinarity is essential when talking about scientific development At present, because for example, in order to understand social problems and propose solutions, interaction between those related disciplines is essential.