“In very general terms (...) transdisciplinarity and transdisciplinary studies mean releasing knowledge and research from the confines of a their subject/discipline and defining their problems with a focus on social developments outside the academic context, for the resolution of such problems independently of subject or discipline”. The point of departure for transdisciplinary research is the fine-grained differentiation of scholarship into disciplines, sub-disciplines and subjects, with different epistemological interests and research practices. The task of transdisciplinary research is not to diminish this differentiation, but to transcend it: “Under a transdisciplinarity approach, shared research subject-matter is defined by scholars in different disciplines and social actors (from the political, administrative, everyday spheres, etc.). This approach to problems adopted in transdisciplinary research raises some complex issues. Transdisciplinary research actively involves a wide range of social actors in the process, including the weak and marginalized, who are excluded from decision-making processes and proactive social input. The orientation towards these actors and the clearly practice-based focus can be realized with various forms of cooperation models. Another key feature of transdisciplinary research is its focus on practical application, i.e. both social solutions and solutions within the domain of scholarship (new theoretical approaches and methods) are formulated across discipline and subject boundaries right from the outset.” Transdisciplinary research, which is always critically reflective and self-reflective, organizes research as a shared learning process between society and scientific research. In the everyday cultural environment, transdisciplinary issues arise as a matter of course in the context of practice in accordance with current thinking.
Students in the
ZHdK Master in Transdisciplinary Studies programme work on the professionalization of such practice, which usually can only be learned “on the job”.
Literatur
- Matthias Bergmann, Engelbert Schramm: Transdisziplinäre Forschung. Integrative Forschungsprozesse verstehen und bewerten, 2008, Frankfurt a. M.
- Feichtinger, Johannes/Mitterbauer, Helga/Scherke, Katharina: Interdisziplinarität – Transdisziplinarität. Zu Theorie und Praxis in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften. newsletter Moderne 7, 2004, pp. 11-16; Transdisziplinäre Nachhaltigkeitsforschung – Konturen eines neuen, disziplinenübergreifenden Forschungstyp. Contribution to the lecture series «Wissenschaftsstadt Frankfurt», 3 March 2001 (download).
- Hayn, Doris/Hummel, Diana: Transdisziplinäre Forschung im Feld Gender & Environment. Article for the 28th "Kongresses von Frauen in Naturwissenschaft und Technik", 9-12 May 2002, Cassel.
- Mittelstrass, Jürgen: Methodische Transdisziplinarität. Technikfolgenabschätzung Theorie und Praxis 14, 2, 2005, pp. 18-23; Stehr, Nico: Warum es so schwierig ist, interdisziplinär zu sein. Von der Zukunft der Wissenschaftskulturen und den Bedingungen der Transdisziplinarität in den Wissenschaften. Forum Forschung 2000, pp. 1-3.
- Wenk, Silke: Transdisziplinarität als hochschulpolitisches Programm. Neue Perspektiven für Frauen- und Geschlechterstudien in Forschung und Lehre, in: Batisweiler, Claudia (ed.): Geschlechterpolitik an Hochschulen: Perspektivenwechsel zwischen Frauenförderung und Gender Mainstreaming, 2001, Opladen, ISBN 3-8100-3044-9, pp. 107-119.
- Zentrum für transdisziplinäre Geschlechterstudien Berlin (The Center for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies, Berlin)