Why cross and mix disciplines and methodologies?: Multiple meanings of Interdisciplinarity and pluralism in ecological economics

Abstract

Ecological Economists disagree much about their field and its relationship to mainstream economics and to policy. One reason for these disagreements is that the field pursues multiple goals under the headings of “interdisciplinarity” and “transdisciplinarity.” At least four distinct goals may be pursued under these labels; brainstorming and borrowing for novel combinations of ideas, building new sub-disciplines at the juncture of existing disciples, bringing multiple fields into methodological and theoretical coherence, and involving science in solving social problems. The latter two draw the most controversy. Ecological Economists desire reforming Economics and other social sciences by integrating theories from ecology and physics, but there are multiple means of doing so. Likewise, many seek to create new ways for academic knowledge to be better utilized in public decision-making, but perspectives differ here as well. These represent fundamentally different axes of disagreement but are not always treated as such. Ecological Economics continues to contain a broad range of perspectives, some contradictory, for a rather small research community.