Disciplinary Boundaries Research Articles

Perspectives in Embodiment Theory: An Introduction

abstract: This special issue of Human Biology , titled “Perspectives in Embodiment Theory,” brings together researchers who use a variety of lenses within the field of human biology to celebrate the plurality and wide applicability of embodiment. This special issue works to cross disciplinary boundaries to create more nuanced understandings of embodiment, plasticity, and experience in humans.

University autonomy and the increasing shift to English in academic programmes at European universities: In dialogue with Liviu Matei

Abstract This paper centres on a dialogue with Liviu Matei, Professor of Higher Education and Public Policy at Kings College London, which aims to transcend sociolinguistic disciplinary boundaries by exploring the increasing use of English for higher education academic programmes at European universities within the context of university autonomy. Once Provost of the Central European University, forced to move from Hungary to Austria when its institutional autonomy was increasingly infringed by the state, Liviu Matei’s academic work combines intellectual acuteness with experience, further deepened in the practice of consultation and applied policy research for influential international bodies and organisations, including the Council of Europe and the European Commission. With him, we consider in novel ways the role that legal reform granting a regulated autonomy to universities accompanied by a more corporate style of higher education governance may have played in the rampant growth in recent decades of English language academic programmes in the now European Higher Education Area (EHEA). We reflect on the historical and public policy contexts out of which English as a medium of instruction (EMI) arose, the regulated autonomy of universities by ministerial practices of steering at a distance, and widely obtaining political epistemologies and policy narratives.

Ideal-Real-Actual

Abstract Based on our experiences from ongoing collaborations with computational engineers over the course of six years and two interdisciplinary research projects, with this article we suggest that the building of collaborations between anthropology and computational sciences that alter disciplinary boundaries and bridge epistemic differences can be accomplished through three levels of engagement: a shared research project, becoming involved in each other's theoretical universes, and crafting physical spaces for shared intellectual practice. Taking an empirical point of departure in our colleagues’ attempt to cross the methodological and epistemic divide between engineering and anthropology through game theory, we introduce how the distinction between the ideal, the real and the actual serves not only as a model of our collaborations but also as a generalisable model for future collaborations across anthropology and computational sciences.

HIStory against the World: Religion, Black Iconicity, and the Haunting Stretcher Photos of Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur

This article examines how Michael Jackson’s 1984 stretcher photo and Tupac Shakur’s 1994 stretcher photo scrambles the disciplinary boundaries surrounding the academic study of religion. Drawing inspiration from Manning Marable’s concept of Blackwater, this study explores the complexities of black iconicity’s relationship to black suffering in the modern world. Through a critical analysis of the production and circulation of Jackson and Shakur’s respective stretcher photos, the following account highlights the disruptive force of black iconicity in modern society, unraveling its implications for religious meaning. By tarrying with these haunting photographic representations, this article prompts a reevaluation of the relation between (anti)blackness, visual culture, religion, and popular culture.

Post-crises (new) normality. Across social practices and speculative fictions

The term of “normality” – we use in the title – stems from a discourse that (re)emerged at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, governing people’s imaginaries and beliefs that “back to normal life” or “better normal” will happen. Escalation of a war in Ukraine and concatenated environmental, energy and economic crises have dissuaded us from these views, showing rather that uncertainty will become the new reality in which we will live. In the paper we combine approaches from social sciences (the concept of social practice) and humanities (speculative fiction as a practice) to show how normative understanding of “normality” prevents discursive progressing beyond the capitalist logic of “normal” and how it immobilises transformation of everyday social practices into the practices that inscribe uncertainty as a normal. As we argue, to exceed foregoing imaginations of “normality” we should employ speculative fictions as realms that help people experiment and exercise different scenarios of the futures. Since the authors represent four disciplines and work in a society where disciplinary boundaries are well established, this paper reflects our hand-on experience with building a transdisciplinary approach.

Between (Conceptual) Crisis and Critique: Reclaiming the Critical Epistemic Value of Publicness

Different understandings of what it means to be critical in the social sciences, especially in terms of the distinction between instrumental and reflexive knowledge, can be illustrated by the ongoing conceptual disputes about the critical epistemic value of public opinion and the public sphere as the main instantiations of publicness. The concept of the public sphere has gained prominence in media and communication theory, filling a void created by the decline of critical public opinion discourse, which was overshadowed by promotional publicity and opinion polls. Initially rooted in the German concept of Öffentlichkeit, this idea was revived in the English term ‘public sphere’. Its adoption transcended disciplinary boundaries, sparking fresh critical perspectives in the study of publicness. Yet, this widespread adoption also brought about a certain dilution of the concept’s epistemic depth. The digital age, characterized by the ascendancy of the Internet and the blurring of public–private boundaries, has greatly reshaped our comprehension of the public sphere, and expanded the scope of the concept. Today, however, the public sphere concept faces a fate reminiscent of administrative public opinion discourse following the proliferation of opinion polls. At a time when society is faced with issues related to the control of digital platforms by oligarchs, reevaluation and revitalization of the concepts of the public sphere and publicness become essential for comprehending the dynamics of modern communication.

GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS IN BREEDING CROPS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE

This paper explores the critical role of international cooperation in addressing the challenges imposed by a changing climate on global agriculture. As climate change threatens food security, this paper investigates the power of unity in transcending geographical and disciplinary boundaries to foster collaborative initiatives. The urgency of developing crops resilient to climate fluctuations is underscored, emphasizing the diverse challenges different regions face and the need for adaptable solutions. Global collaborations catalyze progress, creating a dynamic shared knowledge and resources ecosystem. The abstract outlines the significance of breaking down barriers, be they geographical or cultural, to facilitate a comprehensive approach to breeding crops capable of withstanding a spectrum of climatic conditions. Knowledge exchange and capacity building emerge as key components of successful global collaborations, ensuring communities worldwide have the skills and resources needed for local implementation. The abstract highlights the transformative potential of united efforts, providing a glimpse into a future where international cooperation stands as a cornerstone in pursuing resilient global agriculture amidst the challenges posed by climate change.

Opinion Mining by Convolutional Neural Networks for Maximizing Discoverability of Nanomaterials.

The scientific literature contains valuable information that can be used for future applications, but manual analysis presents challenges due to its size and disciplinary boundaries. The prevailing solution involves natural language processing (NLP) techniques such as information retrieval. Nonetheless, existing automated systems primarily provide either statistically based shallow information or deep information without traceability, thereby falling short of delivering high-quality and reliable insights. To address this, we propose an innovative approach of leveraging sentiment information embedded within the literature to track the opinions toward materials. In this study, we integrated material knowledge into text representation and constructed opinion data sets to hierarchically train deep learning models, named as Scientific Sentiment Network (SSNet). SSNet can effectively extract knowledge from the energy material literature and accurately categorize expert opinions into challenges and opportunities (94% and 92% accuracy, respectively). By incorporating sentiment features determined by SSNet, we can predict the ranking of emerging thermoelectric materials with a 70% correlation to experimental outcomes. Furthermore, our model achieves a commendable 68% accuracy in predicting suitable nanomaterials for atomic layer deposition (ALD) over time. These promising results offer a practical framework to extract and synthesize knowledge from the scientific literature, thereby accelerating research in the field of nanomaterials.

Plant cytogenetics blurring disciplinary boundaries to sustain global food security

Plant cytogenetics blurring disciplinary boundaries to sustain global food security

GLAM Convergence Revisited: An Examination of User Perception and Experience

Institutions in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) sector serve the public as institutions for cultural heritage, identity, education, experience, and leisure. The goals of these institutions are becoming more closely aligned and they have shared a turn from being collection-centred to a focus on users and visitors. When these institutions also face similar challenges brought on especially by digitalization, there is increasing discourse in scholarly literature and among GLAM professionals about the drivers, impacts and opportunities of convergence for the sector. There remains however, scant empirical examination of user/visitor perception and experience of such convergence. This research addresses this knowledge gap and investigates a converged GLAM case institution, Te Ara Ātea in New Zealand through a user/visitor survey. The survey findings suggest that users/visitors perceive and experience fewer issues with convergence relative to benefits. A novel insight from this research is that the concept of GLAM convergence can positively contribute to cultural and community wellbeing. As for perceived issue within the convergence space, of particular interest is the concept of unsanctioned touch of displayed objects/artworks, and the alleged unclear behavioral norms in converged environments. The findings also point to further considerations and implications regarding GLAM disciplinary boundaries.

From the ocean to the brain: harnessing the power of marine algae for neuroprotection and therapeutic advances

Recent investigations have shed light on the potential of seaweed, an abundant source of bioactive compounds, to mitigate and combat neurodegenerative diseases. In this comprehensive review, the accumulating evidence supporting the neuroprotective properties of seaweed-derived compounds is evaluated and their putative mechanisms of action are elucidated. The background of this review encompasses the general understanding of neurodegenerative diseases as debilitating conditions characterized by the progressive loss of nerve cell function and viability in the central nervous system. Furthermore, the global prevalence of these diseases, encompassing Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, and the persistent absence of effective treatments are emphasized. To address this critical issue, an innovative avenue of research is explored by investigating the potential of seaweed and its diverse array of bioactive compounds. By examining the available literature, the evidence supporting the neuroprotective effects of seaweed-derived compounds is consolidated. These bioactive constituents exhibit promising properties in preventing and mitigating neurodegeneration. Mechanistically, their actions involve intricate pathways that contribute to neuronal survival, reduction of oxidative stress, inhibition of neuroinflammation, and modulation of protein aggregation processes. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of seaweed compounds. In conclusion, this review highlights the potential of seaweed as a valuable source of neuroprotective compounds and underscores the advancements made in this burgeoning field. The identification and elucidation of the mechanisms through which seaweed compounds exert their neuroprotective effects hold promise for the development of novel therapeutic interventions. These findings transcend disciplinary boundaries, offering insight into the potential application of seaweed-derived compounds as a valuable resource for combating neurodegenerative diseases across scientific domains.

The Painterly Poe: Architect, Artist, Author

Abstract Many scholars have read Edgar Allan Poe as uniquely enmeshed in an interdisciplinary and intermediary web connecting the visual and practical arts. Poe’s prose is intrinsically multimodal and multisensory, a transgression of disciplinary boundaries that leads to a horrific affect. This article examines three of Poe’s short stories with attention to the figure of the artist, architect, and author within his fiction, arguing that these characters can be read as exemplars of Poe’s aesthetic philosophy laid out in “The Philosophy of Composition.” Poe pushes and explores the limits of disciplinary boundaries by showing the various conjunctions and conflations inherent to artistic practice. In his stories, Poe explores what distinguishes literature from other creative endeavors. It is his fascination with the porous nature of artistic boundaries that drives both the form and content of his tales—and it is this very liminality, this porousness, that makes them truly the harbingers of horror as a genre.

For graduate students to become leaders in sustainability, we must transcend disciplinary boundaries

In the face of the climate crisis, is the academy preparing graduate students to engage in the interdisciplinary work needed to create a sustainable future? In 2021, the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) at the Georgia Institute of Technology convened a group of 7 doctoral students from 7 different disciplines: history, economics, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, biology, city planning, and architecture. The intent of this program was for students to work on self-directed interdisciplinary projects around sustainability. This article describes our experiences as doctoral students in the interdisciplinary BBISS program. As a result of our participation, we have come to see our research through new disciplinary lenses, which enables us to better understand the impacts of our work from a broader systems perspective. Here, we discuss the challenges of interdisciplinarity in academia and highlight the value we see in strengthening interdisciplinarity in graduate education and research. We believe graduate students can become more effective, collaborative problem-solvers, and be better prepared to lead future sustainability projects when given opportunities to integrate interdisciplinary work into their existing program demands. Graduate education should encourage future scholars to broaden their horizons beyond the boundaries of their disciplines, provide opportunities for students to enhance their capabilities as collaborators and team members, and enable students to meaningfully engage with others in traditionally dissimilar fields to better tackle the increasingly complex sustainability problems we face. Our own experiences in the open-ended, interdisciplinary, multisemester BBISS program are evidence of the value of such programs, and we offer some additional suggestions for how individual programs, schools, colleges, and universities might modify doctoral program requirements to better support interdisciplinary work in graduate education.

Education, epistemic justice, and truthfulness: Miranda Fricker interviewed by A. C. Nikolaidis and Winston C. Thompson

Abstract In her groundbreaking book, Epistemic Injustice, renowned moral philosopher and social epistemologist Miranda Fricker coined the term epistemic injustice to draw attention to the pervasive impact of epistemic oppression on marginalized social groups. Fricker’s account spurred a flurry of scholarship regarding the discriminatory impact of epistemic injustice and gave birth to a domain of philosophical inquiry that has extended far beyond the disciplinary boundaries of philosophy. In this interview, Fricker responds to questions posed by A. C. Nikolaidis and Winston C. Thompson that address the ways in which epistemic injustice intersects with education as a human endeavour and social institution. In doing so, Fricker reflects on her motivations in writing her book more than fifteen years ago and explicitly addresses some of the most significant contributions of the concept of epistemic injustice as a tool for analysing issues in education. She also offers insights on the purpose of education, outlines educational manifestations of epistemic injustice, and discusses the virtues that educators must exhibit and inculcate in their students in order for epistemic justice to obtain.

Design principles for integrating language and communication skills into engineering education

Developing competencies in language and communication is becoming increasingly important for the contemporary engineering student if career success and community engagement are to be enhanced. The integration of language, and other ‘soft-skills’, into broader engineering education could assist in preparing students to become more employable and improve their overall engineering ability. This study adopted a design-based research strategy to develop design principles regarding the integration of language and communication skills into engineering education. Eleven participants were purposefully sampled to form part of a design team that became responsible for this development. The principles that emerged emphasised the role culture plays in the process of learning, highlighting the importance of embracing cultural diversity in ways that frame it as a strength to be exploited. Differing abilities and levels of English language proficiency need to be accommodated, requiring lecturers to build in a feedback process to manage progress and effective student engagement. It is advisable to adopt a holistic approach to teaching and learning, and to pay careful attention to appropriate learning strategies. An integrated learning environment necessitates the dismantling of the traditional silos that have characterised engineering education and greater cooperation among various disciplines needs to be encouraged.Transdisciplinary contribution: The integration of language and communication into engineering education goes beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines and involves collaboration between the faculties of engineering and humanities as well as industry partners, and accreditation bodies. The diverse range of expertise required, range from linguistics and pedagogy to engineering and instructional design.

A framework for developing team science expertise using a reflective-reflexive design method (R2DM)

Effective integration and implementation of knowledge in research are dependent on team science expertise grounded in collaboration principles and techniques that advance individual and group scientific agendas. The Science of Team Science (SciTS) provides evidence-based research and best practices that strive to develop scientists’ collaborative skills so that they can work across disciplinary boundaries while developing strong and diverse teaming relationships. Identifying the motivations of those involved in collaborative teaming can contribute to maximizing team effectiveness and applying the knowledge emerging from understanding these to shape teams’ adaptation of a shared mutual learning mindset as a core tenet of scientific teamwork. In addition, surfacing motivations has the potential of helping team members examine their own needs in relation to their scientific and career goals. In this paper we draw from the domains of the Motivation Assessment for Team, Readiness, Integration, and Collaboration (MATRICx) framework, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs motivational theory, and The Team Effectiveness Model for Science (TEMS) to develop a Reflective-Reflexive Design Method (R2DM) that focuses on the development of intra-personal attributes within the context of a team. Approaching expertise development from this design method invites individual reflection in the context of group reflexivity to serve as the cornerstone of deep team science expertise. We used a design thinking approach to identify a framework that merges individual reflection with group reflexivity. The core questions we asked are: (i) What constitutes expertise to succeed in science teams? and (ii) How might we approach the design of learning engagements that enable the development of the needed expertise?

Prison and the Work Ethic

Despite persistent depictions to the contrary, coercion pervades the modern work experience and, in many significant respects, is underwritten by the power of the state. This article outlines some of the ways in which long-standing interventions by Canadian (and British) states continue to affect workplace relations today. To appreciate the scope of this effect, it is necessary to trespass across a number of disciplinary boundaries to include topics such as immigration, deportation, political policing, the legal foundations of employment law, the continuing influence of the British Poor Laws, and the role of prisons and prison labour in helping to regulate work standards. States acted to support proletarianization in a comprehensive way, but their tendency to favour large-scale, “labour-saving” building projects has often undermined the actual effectiveness of their efforts at social control. These patterns still haunt prison policy, as I will show toward the end of the article in discussing the Toronto South Detention Centre.

How does aggregation‐induced emission aggregate interdisciplinary research?

AbstractIt is a matter of debate whether the discipline independence in discipline formation narrows its interdisciplinarity. It is also less well understood how disruptive works emerge in investigative practice rather than a theory‐driven approach. Aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) is an atypical photophysical phenomenon, in which the whole (aggregate) is brighter than the sum of its parts (single molecule). Through measuring and computing the cognitive extent and evolution of research on AIE, including topics, epistemic‐social collaborative networks, interdisciplinarity, emergent concepts, core concept networks and knowledge flow, this study shows that a cross‐research scales concept and its practice can establish new bridges in the sciences and promote disruptive work. Focusing on mesoscale entities, scientists from many different branches of science are involved in theoretical research on mechanisms, as well as developing different AIE systems for applications. The data analysis in this study provides details showing how non‐reductionist concepts based on new scientific discoveries cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and aggregate interdisciplinary research. The emergence and evolution of the AIE field implies that scientists may be motivated to embrace nonreductionist ideas at different research scales, leading to a more permeable field boundary.

A perspective for identifying intersections among the social, engineering, and geosciences to address water crises

Reliable access to safe water is essential for health, wellbeing, and the livelihoods of people. However, water security innovations benefit when engineering and geoscience decisions consider systemic human, social, and organizational realities, needs, and goals. Indeed, true innovation that leads to water security requires intensively inclusive and iterative processes to occur at multiple scales of analysis across diverse sciences—for this, expertise and knowledge across the varied sciences is essential to facilitate such convergent, transdisciplinary research. Here, we articulate our perspective for identifying points of intersection and working across disciplinary boundaries to address water crises. Our perspective takes a multidimensional view of community, organization, family, and individual resilience in the face of natural and human hazards. It builds upon previous models of cumulative water related risk by nuancing the relationships amongst levels of analysis, and expanding the idea of cumulative impacts to include interactive impacts (e.g., buffering, enhancing, effects and other moderators), mediated effects (i.e., mechanisms of impact), as well as additive and suppressive linkages amongst risk and protective factors.

Interdisciplinary variations of metadiscursive verb patterns in English research articles

AbstractThe widespread use of metadiscourse is vital to the study of academic discourse and genre analysis. This article focuses on the concept of metadiscursive verb patterns (MVPs) and examines their variation in English research articles across four domains representing hard/soft‐pure and hard/soft‐applied disciplines. Based on a bottom‐up investigation of a self‐compiled corpus, three findings are highlighted: (1) the crucial rhetorical roles of MVPs were established by their distinct functions in knowledge construction; (2) significant interdisciplinary variations of MVPs reflected the typical written conventions shared by writers of different disciplinary communities; and (3) the association between (sub‐)categories of MVPs and disciplines foregrounded the most popular rhetorical strategies for using MVPs and salient disciplinary features. These findings are discussed in terms of the factors governing the use of MVPs and identification of disciplinary boundaries. Pedagogical considerations for understanding MVPs and proper rhetorical strategies for using these tools are discussed.