INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN THE HUMANITIES (IRANIAN JOURNAL OF CULTURAL RESEARCH)
Year:2011 | Volume:3 | Issue:4 (12)|Papers Count:7

Following Kuhn's seminal work، «the structure of scientific revolution»، challenging accumulation and progress in science، paradigm concept has been widely used in social science and popularized in scientific community.In this article، possibility of multi/meta paradigm approach in interdisciplinary studies is sought. Reviewing different perspectives to paradigms including paradigm incommensurability، possibility of dialogue between different paradigms، i.e. multi/meta paradigm approach، is examined. The enquiry is comparative-descriptive and critically scrutinizes previous writings in the area.Eventually، it will be shown that a major problem in literature on paradigm is loose application of the term. Taking into account the context of application، Vagueness can be reduced. Furthermore، Multi/Meta paradigm approach is paradoxical and ignores the essential characteristic of paradigm. in interdisciplinary studies، multiple paradigms cannot be used simultaneously.

The major problem in conducting interdisciplinary research projects is that in these projects two methodological model deploy against each other: quantitative method used in natural sciences on the one hand، and qualitative method used in human and social sciences on the other hand. As a result of such a problem، useful and constructive dialogue among the experts of different scientific fields seems to have reached a deadlock. The problem of ‘translatability’، too، has emerged out of the above problem. So، paying attention to language and its communicative criteria has come to focus. In this article، firstly، by considering the roots of such a problem and mentioning the theoretical foundations of the both methodological models، the deadlock of communication between scientific fields have been analyzed. Then، from the perspective of the theory of communicative action and universal pragmatics based on the critical theory، it is proposed that applying the method of ‘critical hermeneutics’ can break the deadlock. Not to mention that the methodological model of this article itself is based on Habermas’s communicative research method.

Contemporary developments in recent decades have led researchers and research institutes to focus on collaborative and interdisciplinary studies. Due to holistic necessary in understanding the problems and the complexity and multi-dimensionality nature of the issues which the researchers are faced، the idea that the effort of scientific researchers to solve a range of issues based on their expertise without the collaboration of experts from other disciplines and even when the solutions provided; particularly in research related to social issues - may instead of providing solutions for all aspects of the problem، causing multiple solutions without effectiveness. In order to reduce this matter the social researches may assist researchers from other fields of science in their studies and a convergence between different fields of studies is needed. The main aim of present research is providing solutions to convergence the field of humanities، natural and engineering. In order to achieve the research objective the documentary method was employed.

 While shedding light on the evolution of the multidisciplinary approach to orientalist studies in the 19th and early 20th centuries، this paper elaborates on the interdisciplinary approach to post-colonial studies in the second half of the 20th Century with a historical and analytical perspective. The paper is also intended to explain the transitional phase from multicultural studies to intercultural studies as well as the new methodological developments from a multidisciplinary approach to an interdisciplinary one as well as to examine the outcomes of these developments in the orientalist analyses of western academicians and the interactions between different disciplines in post-colonial studies. In response to the question as to “why has the orientalism been basically based on a multidisciplinary approach while the post-colonial studies have tended to rely on an interdisciplinary one”، this paper will make a review of the introvert factors caused by the assimilatory and multifaceted nature of scientific orientalism as well as the extrovert factors caused by the influence of colonial powers on the western orientalists in studying the economic، social، cultural، political، historical and literary aspects of the oriental societies. Furthermore، the paper aims at providing an explanatory method for identifying the causes of an effort for an intercultural approach towards post-colonial studies by taking into consideration and emphasizing on field research through establishing an epistemological and methodological linkage between aesthetics، etymology، anthropology، sociology، geography and political science as well as interdisciplinary cooperation among indigenous orientalists.

Jurgen Habermas is among thinkers of critical school that is hard to limit him to a domain specific knowledge. With research in his works ، it becomes obvious that he belongs to the several cognitive domains such as philosophy ،sociology، psychology and linguistics simultaneously. Habermas bends several scientific fields for solving the human problems that result of it was the theory of self-confidence،and theory of communicative action. This two theory show synthesis from different knowledge. so theory of interdisciplinary is one of the main characteristics of critical theory of Jurgen Habermas for releasing modern society from domination of power and wealth. Hence، this article tries to show different knowledge sources (philosophy of mind، philosophy of history، critical philosophy، sociology of knowledge، political sociology،…) also represents how to integrate them in integrated and innovative approach.

The main question of this research that is descriptive-survey، is: what are educational science course development challenges? (With 3 interdisciplinary fields، comparative، preschool and primary education). These challenges have been studied in 3 areas: economical، social – cultural، and instructional. The society of research is the all of students that have been study in these fields. The questionnaire has been made with researcher. For analyzes the research has been used the descriptive and perceptive statistics. The resolute show that the challenges are the obstacles for development of these disciplinary fields as humanities. Some of them are: improper economic base; the international strategies in the economic area; improper work shop for person that will be graduated; non familiarities with this course and it’s fields; bureaucracy; the curriculum is not suitable. Shortage of teachers and professors; shortage of research terms; and shortage of seminars and conferences.