Welcome to week 4 of our blog! This week we will be discussing how we use interdisciplinarity in our daily lives and some examples that I believe demonstrate interdisciplinary work.
Interdisciplinarity is used in many daily situations. It is a natural process. When a problem arises, such as someone gets sick, there are many things to consider before a course of action takes place. You may consider how sick is the person, so you look at it from a medical standpoint, are they vomiting, do they have a fever, are they conscious? Then you may consider the cost of going to the doctor, so there is an economic perspective, do they have health insurance, do they have the money to pay for the visit? Have you had this type of cold before, a historical perspective, so you know what to expect from the disease process. There may be some cultural impacts that come into play, so we have a sociological or anthropological perspective, do they believe a doctor can help them; do they trust in the medical system? After considering the alternatives a decision is made, now it may be to take some over the counter medicine or go to the emergency room, but it is a combination of all, some, or additional factors that brings a person to a decision. The point is that when you go through most types of decision making processes you are using an integration of knowledge to come to a solution. How might your ability to solve problems from an interdisciplinary perspective be valuable to a future employer or current employer?
Interdisciplinarity is not multidisciplinarity, and I know we have already talked about the fruit salad versus the smoothie, but the difference is integration. The blending of knowledge to create a new product or solution is integration. Another example is a group project. Say there are four people in the project and they each take one paragraph to write on a different aspect of the topic, and the paper is turned in. If there is no other input from the group members on each others’ input there is a lack of integration. If on the other hand, each person submits there paragraph for review by the group and everyone critically examines each others’ work, adding knowledge that they may have found to contribute to that idea, you have a better paper because everyone’s knowledge base is a little different, and it is a more integrated outcome. Which specific skills are used when completing a research project by yourself or in a group? How do we use research in our everyday lives? in school? at work?
An example of an interdisciplinary profession is a nurse. You may ask how, are they not just a branch of the medical field? In addition to having medical knowledge, they also have to have some basis in teaching as they have to teach the patient and family about the patient’s illness and possibly how to carry out prescribed care at home. They have to have some psychological knowledge to consider when the best time will be to teach the patient. They also have to consider what resources the patient will have at home and does the nurse need to bring in other resources to help meet the patient’s needs. They need to have some communication skills to be able to communicate effectively with the patient.
Some opportunities that can increase our interdisciplinarity would be to volunteer with a nonprofit organization. They have to find integrative ways to meet the needs of the population of people that they are trying to help. They also have to fund raise and try to win grant money to have the financial means to meet these needs. Reading interdisciplinary magazines is another way to build interdisciplinary skills. There is the University of Central Florida Undergraduate Research Journal, any journal on woman’s studies or public health, journals on culture, and the list goes on. You can also try to goggle search interdisciplinary journals and listings will come up. How might the skills you learn be translated towards future employment?
I have given a few examples that I believe illustrates an interdisciplinarity, now it’s your turn. Create a potential (fictitious but believable) work scenario where your research and problem solving skills as an interdisciplinary thinker might come into play.
As always remember to sign your post with your first and last name! Have a great week!
-The Mentors
hello guys!
ReplyDeletelets see if i can get this thing started this week. So I work in a bar and wine bar and I have pretty well rounded knowledge of all the beer and wine in the house and the whole process that includes making and packaging it. A guest comes into the bar and it is one of my regular people that comes in twice a week. The lady isnt much of a beer drinker but likes red wine. She doesnt drink the house but drink the middle of the road red that I offer so she asks me one night what the differece between the valipolcella and the rispassa red wines wine is? I go well the same company produces the two wines and they both say that they are valipolcellos onthe lables at the time all I can say is that they consider the Rispassa as a baby Amorne and the other valiplocello is just 20 bucks cheaper and tables pretty much the same? Then she says ok and tell her that i have to look into it more for her and get back with her the next time she is in.
From this I would have to look into what makes a wine a Ripassa and just a valipolcello I guess by looking how they are made and what the process would be. Then be able to find the common ground between the two and then find out what sets them apart from each other since one is more exspensive then the other. if they are the same wine then i would have to find out why the producer sells them differently is it the package it comes in or the bottle shape? so by intergrating the business with the actual making of the wine would be interdisciplinary, and then having to dumb it down so that the guest and understand what i have found out for her the next time she comes in.
Justin Sikes
That sounds like a good example of interedisciplinarity in everyday life, combining production with advertising and customer service. Also part of interdisciplinary research is asking critical questions, so asking the producers why the more expensive wine is more expensive if it is basically the same product would be an example of this. I think a lot of costumer service positions use interdisciplinary knowledge because you have to have good communication skills and product knowledge to be successful.
DeleteHey there Justin,
DeleteThat is an interesting way to look at an interdisciplinary problem and solution. I agree with Melissa in that I think alot of customer service positions use at least some interdisciplinary knowledge in their everyday work.
~Chanel Mosby
I found this a very interesting outlook. I haven't really thought about products being so interdisciplinary; I just thought of people as it. I agree with the posts above though, that customer service reps in any industry definitely need to be interdisciplinary, especially if you are selling something as well. You need to use knowledge from all over.
Delete-Greg EIsenberg
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteAs part of my course load this semester, I am taking a Marketing course. From this premise, I think of a scenario that occurs all the time in the marketing world.
A running shoe company decides to release a new line of running shoes. After doing some research, they find that there is a large segment of active senior citizens who are exercise conscious and value their health even at an older age. As a result, the company wants the shoes to appeal to that segment of active and fit senior citizens. Therefore, the question is, what is the best way to get senior citizens to buy that line of shoe.
As an interdisciplinary student, the skills you develop will serve very effective to this scenario because reaching the company's goal requires an integrated effort. In order to sell this product, the efforts of researchers, marketing strategists (marketers), shoe designers, economists, business administrators, logisticians, and retailers must all be utilized. From the start, it takes researchers being able to identify that there is potential for profit stemming from a group of senior citizens. Marketing strategists have to develop a game plan for how to sell and advertise the product to catch the interest of senior citizens. For example, adding music from the 1960's or 1950's into their commercials will catch the older crowd's interest more than Lady Gaga or music that older consumers are less familiar with. Economists have to crunch the numbers and see how much of the product should be produced, how much should each pair of shoes costs, what potential profit effects could selling the shoe produce, etc. Business administrators have to make sure that the images seen associated with the product reflect what their businesses represent. Logisticians and retailers have to coordinate delivery and shipping of inventory.
In order to pull this all off, it takes the problem solving and skills of an interdisciplinarian. They understand that just one player in the process cannot get the job done. Rather there must be an integration of efforts. The shoe designers cannot design a shoe made out of snake skin then give the product to the shoe company. The designers have to sit down and discuss with the economists what materials are in budget and what materials are too expensive to work with. The shoe company selling the shoes cannot just call retailers and tell them to sell the shoes. The two parties have to sit down and discuss how much inventory will be shipped, where it will be shipped, how often will the inventory be resupplied. Certain problems may arise such as a certain ad campaign may be too expensive for the shoe company. To solve this problem marketers and economists must do so in an interdisciplinary manner. Such as, the marketers may develop different advertising options while the economists notify them of which options are affordable and which ones are not. In this manner both perspectives are contributing to the solution, whereas individually the solution for marketers may have been to choose the most flamboyant campaign while the economic solution may have been to choice the cheapest campaign.
Overall, the entire process requires skills, problem solving, and efforts of integration to be successful.
- Nicholas Spivey
In general, marketing is an excellent example of an interdisciplinary field in the real world. Your case of the shoe company was very well thought out and explained why and how marketing is interdisciplinary and how those involved are considered interdisciplinarians. Your last statement regarding what the entire process requires, “skill, problem solving, and efforts of integration” truly defines all examples of interdisciplinary in the real world.
DeleteAngela Boyd
hey Nicholas,
DeleteIm taking a marketing class as well this semester!! great example using the marketing sceme and senior sneakers. It was well thought out and is a great example of being interdisciplinary in the real world
Justin Sikes
I think this is a great example of how interdisciplinary skills are used in the business world and I think marketing in general uses a lot of interdisciplinary themes. Great job!
DeleteI have to agree with Justin and Melissa; this is a great example of the way research and problem solving skills are used in he workplace. Your response was very well thought out and detailed really well how so many areas can be integrated to allow multiple companies to run smoothly.
Delete-Amanda Brashear
Thank you all! Justin is your marketing class at UCF with Professor Massiah?
Delete- Nicholas Spivey
Hello Nicholas,
DeleteGreat job here describing and thinking about the problem. I like how you thought up many different disciplines that can contribute to the solution and then went on to describe how they could be integrated. Great job!
~Chanel Mosby
Hi Nicholas,
DeleteI think your marketing scenario is a great example of how many disciplines are combined for a single outcome. Until I worked for a marketing company, I had no idea how many things were looked at before an approach was designed and how the approaches can be tweaked for different audiences.
Gabriella DiSpada
A career such as pharmacy provides a good example of an interdisciplinary field in the real world. Many people think pharmacy simply involves science however, this is not the case. I cannot give one simple example because each case is interdisciplinary. When a patient comes in they usually have questions about their medications, it is the pharmacists job to inform them. In this situation, the pharmacist must not only use the science they have learned in school but also be able to use interpersonal skills, communication, and sometimes even psychology in order to communicate with the patient efficiently and effectively. Also, pharmacists must also have good business and management backgrounds and qualities in order for the pharmacy to run correctly. Pharmacy is interdisciplinary because it pulls from all different areas of study in order to work towards one common outcome of care for the patient and helping the patient attain the highest quality of life possible.
ReplyDeleteAngela Boyd
Nicely done Angela!
DeleteMy father has been a Pharmcist for 39 years and everyone has always told me "oh he just counts pills all day long" but you are correct in what you have said in what they really have to do everyday, when I watch my father work it amazes me how smart he is!! He is old school, has redic information about how the medication s react and what little tricks are for poeple to do for an illness and does compounding and stuff like that but he has been around so long in the field he comes out with something to tell a patient that they are just in aww with what he said. So he relies on information that he has been taught or has learned from some other doctor plus manage the pharmacy and talk to the patient and doctors and answer questions that the techs have as well. Good job
Justin sikes
Pharmacy is a great example and honestly there have been several times I have called a pharmacist to clarify what a doctor has prescribed and if my child should even be taking that medication and even once if the diagnose was correct (and a few times the answer has been no). In this case they also critically analyze other disciplinary knowledge and are a great source of information for patients.
DeleteMelissa Castorino
Once I started reading this post I was thougth to myself, yes a pharamacy is a great example. People who work in pharmacy are also teachers, there is probably no tellign how many questions they get asked in a day. They also need to have good communication/people skills because you know some people to no care for the price of medication at all and that anger may be taken out on them. This was a great example.
DeletePatricia Alise Priest
This is a very good example! I work in the emergency room and medicine involves so much more than science. As you said, a lot of it involves interacting with customers/patients and tending to their needs, which takes good communication skills. If you do not have good communication skills, then customers may not want to re-visit you for whatever they may need.
DeleteBri Darby
Hello Angela,
DeleteI agree that a pharmacist is a good example of someone who's job is interdisciplinary. As you mentioned, you need to not only be able to manage a business but also have good interpersonal skills as well, on top of the medical knowledge. Good work in thinking about this example.
~Chanel Mosby
Angela,
DeleteA pharmacist is definitely a good example of an interdisciplinary profession. It's also a part of an interdisciplinary team. The pharmacist is in communication with more than just the patient. They are also sharing information with insurance companies, physicians, nurses, nursing homes, and manufacturers. Being able to have the communication skills as well as the knowledge to work alongside these other health care professionals is extremely important for holistic health care. This is the way pharmacy is emerging and growing in today's society.
Michelle Puikis
Angela,
DeleteI've definitely have seen a post like this before and I could not agree more. Pharmacists really need to use every aspect of an interdisciplinary background to serve customers adequately.
My interdisciplinary perspective would be be valuable to an employer because an interdisciplinary education can give me the ability to find answers to problems associated with really any line of work. IDS is teaching me how to think outside the box and blend several disciplines together to find common ground. If I had only been involved in one discipline, I would not be gaining valuable insight solving problems this way.
ReplyDeleteWhen working on a research project by myself I am actively integrating many ideas together without really noticing. When working in a group, one part is usually given to each person. Integration must occur in all parts so the project can come together as a whole.
We use research in our everyday lives when something grabs our interest and we aren’t really sure of the facts. We ask people that might have a better understanding of the subject, maybe professors, and we look up our questions on the internet to see what that might yield. In school, we do the same thing and consult texts and articles to find information on topics. At work, research is commonly used in marketing strategies.
A work scenario in which my research and problem solving skills would be used could be as an epidemiologist working for the CDC. I could be sent to a foreign country and would need to research the history of an outbreak within a culture. Researching index cases of diseases is important because then I would be able to know if the diseases have been rampant previously, how and if a quarantine was put into effect, and what medical attention was given to people afflicted with the disease. Understanding the culture of the people I would be working with would also be important because sometimes religious and cultural reasons get in the way of proper treatment of illnesses. I would need to solve the problem of persuading the sick to accept the treatment without insulting their religion and culture.
-Amanda Brashear
Yes, the IDS major will give you an edge over other employees becauseof your newly gained problem solving skills. It will be very importnant for you to be able to communicate and understand the beliefs of others in these countries you wish to work in. This could possibly speed the process and safe one more person. Good luck with all of your goals.
DeletePatricia Alise Priest
Hello Amanda,
DeleteI agree with you that being an epidemiologist on foreign assignment would be a time where you would certainly need to be interdisciplinary in order to perform your job well. Having only the technical expertise wouldn't prepare you for the cultural aspects that you mention. Great example and I hope you get to try it out someday.
~Chanel Mosby
On a daily basis I use a mix of discilines while selling insurance blieve it or not. I use marketing skills to promote buisness and get customers to come see me. Once I get those customers in I may have a very upset person who does not liek insurance. I need to use communication skills in order to calm their nerves in order to be able to help them with their insurance needs. Once I have calmed them down then it is tiem to educate and fidn the best product for them.
ReplyDeletePatricia Alise Priest
This is a good example of interdisciplinarity, because anytime you are selling anything or working with customers many disciplines are going to be involved. Not only are these disciplines involved, but they are very important in keeping customers happy, because after all they allow you to have a job!
DeleteBri Darby
Hello Patricia,
DeleteI can see how customer service would require an integration of different skills to be sure. Plus, I think you could probably throw economics into that mix to help your customer find something that works within their budgets but will cover enough of what they might need in the future.
~Chanel Mosby
Hi Patricia,
DeleteGreat Post! I didn't even think about the use of communication skills to calm down an irate client along with your marketing skills to promote your business. That is a great example of your interdisciplinary skills being of use at work.
Leanne Sless
Hey Patricia!
DeleteIt's so strange to me that, after reading these posts, it seems that almost any profession can be labeled as interdisciplinary! Selling insurance would not have been a profession that I would have initially thought of to be interdisciplinary, but you clearly displayed it to be. I would imagine that you also use your communication skills not only when a customer is upset, but also to initially sell and educate them on the product. Good post!
-Tanya Hunt
Hi Everyone!
ReplyDeleteA work situation involving interdisciplinarity/integration would be a police chase. First, the suspect has broken a law (criminal justice), and is breaking another by running from the police. If the chase ends in an accident, the suspect or officers may need medical attention (health). The suspect will be arrested and taken into custody, and this involves communication (as does the rest of the situation). The next order of business would be trying to gain insight on the suspect's motives, and this brings in the psychology and sociology disciplines. Depending on the situation, more disciplines could potentially be involved.
This blog is also an example of integration and interdisciplinarity. Us Cornerstone students create our own personal response to the weekly prompt(s), and reply to other student's prompts as well. Each of us has a unique academic plan as an IDS major, and because we have two major areas and one minor area of study, we often do not have the exact same educational plan. Therefore, we all can give different views on interdisciplinary issues and we create integration by commenting on each other's posts and sharing ideas.
Bri Darby
Hello Bri,
DeleteI like both of the examples you have given here. I too hadn't thought about the blog itself as being interdisciplinary but I can see what you mean now that I think about it. Of course, the example with the police chase is a good example, because as you mentioned, there are many different disciplines that all have to come together to bring the criminal to justice.
~Chanel Mosby
Bri,
DeleteA police chase definitely demonstrates how an interdisciplinary team like we looked at in the chart in the very beginning of this week. Being able to identify with a situation and understand the disciplines involved will be a big help in your research project. So I think you are on the right path here in identifying interdisciplinarity.
Michelle Puikis
Hi Bri,
DeleteI had not thought about the blog that way until I read your comment. We are all sharing our views and as we read other posts we not only get other perspectives but find that our own perspective begins to change shape from integrating the ideas of others.
Gabriella DiSpada
Great post Bri!
DeleteThe example of the police chase is a good one. Like you said there will end up being even more disciplines that will surround this situation. The history or criminal background of this person will also need to be addressed. Sounds like you have a great grasp on the explanation and meaning behind this.
Leanne Sless
I never really thought about this blog being interdisciplinary in itself, but now that you mention it, it really makes sense. We contribute our ideas and blend them together. Also, the police chase is an interesting example of interdisciplinarity as well.
ReplyDelete-Amanda Brashear
I did not think about it but Angela Boyd brings up a good point about the "skills" needed to be interdisciplinary. Communication for example, is definitely needed because no job involving integration can be performed without exchanging ideas with others.
ReplyDelete- Nicholas Spivey
Amanda Brashear has a good take on the job setting portion of having interdisciplinary skills. It is not enough just to possess skills, you have to apply them in the workforce. Just as Amanda said, having an interdisciplinary skill set means you can solve problems from an integrated approach that includes several points of view, not just one discipline.
ReplyDelete- Nicholas Spivey
Hi Everyone!
ReplyDeleteI think life is an interdisciplinary situation. To work through any of the situations that many of us come across everyday, we have to have skills from several different areas. The more of a grasp we have on these skills, the easier it seems to handle certain situations. We automatically integrate skills from different areas with out realizing it; negotiating for our new car, interviewing for a job, parenting, relationships, work.
Not enough credit given to interdisciplinary thinking. I just realized how much I use it for everything.
Gabriella DiSpada
Hi Gabriella, You are absolutely right, interdisciplinary situations happen on a daily basis, whether it be in our personal or professional lives. For instance at my work we have started having lay offs and I automatically start having a historical approach and think from everything I have given to this company where do I stand. Also from a financial standpoint, if I do get laid off, how long would my husband's salary carry us till I find a new job. We really do not give this type of thinking enough credit.
DeleteLeanne Sless
My goal is to one day own my own business. I have a ton of ideas so I do not know what exactly I want to start, but I know that entrepreneurship is what I want to do. I think entrepreneurs have to be very interdisciplinary to run a successful business. With out the business skills, of course there is no business, but there are so many other factors to look at. Psychology is a huge part because you need to know how people think in order to offer a product to them properly. Also communications is huge so that you can adequately market a product and communicate with the general public properly.
ReplyDelete-Greg Eisenberg
Hey Greg....
DeleteFantastic that you know you are headed in the entrepreneurial direction. What are some of your business ideas? Have you ever considered getting into social entrepreneurship? It is a form of enacting social change in society utilizing entrepreneurial principles. For instance, I am hoping to one day start my own cafe, but an element of it will include feeding those who can't afford to feed themselves. Something to consider if you are interested. Good Luck and have a nice spring break!
Julia Elrod!:)
Hey Greg,
DeleteOwning your own business would definitely integrate different disciplines. I think if you narrow your scope, and pick even a general type of business (resturant, office, etc.) that you want to open, it will give you even more disciplines that you can identify. Hope you are successful with your ventures, and your business is a success one day!!
-Tanya Hunt
Hello everyone!
ReplyDeleteSo as I have said before, I am still not completely sure where my interdisciplinary studies degree will lead be as far as a career goes, but I am hoping to work within human resources. In the past, I have worked as a martial arts instructor, and am currently teaching kickboxing classes. I think that teaching martial arts is a perfect example of an interdisciplinary profession. On a daily basis, a martial arts instructor must use communication skills along with proper teaching techniques to allow the student to learn the particular skill. Along with that, the instructor must have a good basis of health knowledge that they are constantly aware of to prevent any injuries. Psychology is also key, working with children especially, as distinguishing between teaching them and an adult is a world of difference. It must always also be taken into account that the school is a business, and must make money, therefore some things must be done to please the students and make sure they come back.
I'm sure there are even more disciplines integrated that I didn't think of, but I named enough to clearly distinguish a martial arts instructor as an interdisciplinary profession These skills come into play in situations on a daily basis. I would love to hear your ideas on any more you can think of! I hope everyone has a great spring break!
-Tanya Hunt
Hi Tanya, I think you gave a great example. I think it was great to point out that you teach adults in a different way then you teach children. I also didn't initially think of the health knowledge and maybe even a little sports medicine that you would need to know to prevent injury and possibly treat an injury. Have a great spring break!
ReplyDeleteMelissa Castorino