Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Integrated Studies: Topics Courses



I'm wondering, this morning, as I walk the dog soon after sunrise, looking north across Utah Valley, if it is even possible to do work so focused that it doesn't involve some kind of interdisciplinarity. Scientists talk disparagingly about people they call "one mugs," teachers/researchers who are able to do only a single, tightly focused thing. But we don't see many of those kind in successful positions in academics or business or the professions. These days, even a proctologist works with an interdisciplinary team. And even a white-haired professor of Integrated Studies has to learn how to take photos with a digital camera and to post the images to a blog.

The assumption that most topics or real-life problems have to be addressed with a set of diverse tools is the basis for the Integrated Studies Program, where we teach methods of interdisciplinary research in our topics classes and where each student produces an interdisciplinary thesis.

For instance, here's a list of our courses for this year:

Fall 2007:
  • Death and Dying
  • American Modernism
  • Evolutionary Ecology
  • Language, most dangerous of possessions
  • India: Hindu Philosophy and Art
Spring 2008:
  • The American West
  • Death and Dying
  • Behavioral Economics
  • East Asian Buddhist Literature
Our purpose is not to make sure every student has studied Hindu Art or Behavioral Economics, but rather to model topical research that reaches across disciplines for the tools it needs. The language class, for instance, is looking at poetry, linguistics, religion, history, politics, semiotics, philosophy, film, at the language of photography as opposed to and as similar to the language of painting, and at who knows what else to think about the ability to create and think in images that so wonderfully and horrifically separates us from other species. .

The Spring class on the American West will similarly draw on various disciplines to think about a region that is as mythical as physical: literature, geology, history, cultural studies, and art (see the Maynard Dixon painting above -- Dixon was married to the photographer Dorothea Lang, had a house in southern Utah, and obviously witnessed skies like the one I saw this morning).

Our majors take two of these courses as a required part of the major; but the topics are so engaging that we draw a lot of students who are not majors as well. For instance, the ongoing course on Death and Dying, taught by certified Thanatologist Nancy Rushforth and Professor Reba Keele, appeals to a wide range of human beings, all of whom must respond to these issues.



So, take a look at the Spring offerings and join us for one of our cross-border trips.

9 comments:

Torben B said...

The integrated studies program is incredible. It's home to us many students who have never felt completely comfortable on one side of the fence, but instead, peered over constantly with curiosity. When I met with the lady from the U who came to assess the integrated studies program, she asked me: "do you feel like you don't get as complete an education when you are an integrated studies student?"

My response to her:
"Show me an undergraduate student who understands Foucault when they finish their undergraduate studies who didn't read outside of class."

Multidisciplinary studies are not just about pulling from diverse fields, but actually integrating diverse perspectives and tools into our natural synthesis. I take the "integrated" portion of "integrated studies" quite literally.

Speaking of Foucault, are we sure that these academic divisions aren't just another layer of his ideas regarding taxonomies and juxtaposition? Is integrated studies the future taxonomy?

Scott Abbott said...

Yes, Torben, you make perfect sense, and then at the end you comprehend the whole, sly fox that you are -- academic theories ebb and flow, and the idea of interdisciplinary work is flowing at the moment.

So for me the real question lies not with the current flow, but with the sense that all good thought/research/study/conversation requires that we move across all kinds of borders and boundaries.

Good thinkers did so before the word "interdisciplinary" and they'll do so after we move on.

Vegor said...

If I could do it all over again, I would have done integrated studies. Even with that bloody stats class!

Grabloid said...

I really wish I could take that East Asian Buddhist Literature class...it is on Tues. and Thurs. though and won't work with my schedule next semester...

I also met with the same lady from the U that Torben mentioned above (we met with her together). When asked the same question that Torben mentioned above...I had to think for a second and then thought the same thing that Torben thought...I (we) mentioned that perhaps an integrated approach gives an advantage in that it allows for drawing from a much more eclectic base/range of knowledge. An integrated approach develops much better critical thinking skills for students in my opinion.

Also, I feel a lot more comfortable and welcome in this type of 'integrated' setting as well because it seems less like an elitist competition and seems to be focused on understanding one another and exploring complex issues without limiting/pigeon-holing discussions... Further, I don't think that allowing for this diversity impedes the ability to be specific, thorough, detailed, etc....

michael morrow said...

DEATH AND DYING, SO APPROPRIATE FOR MY EXPERIENCE THIS SEMESTER. AS THE "END" DRAWS NEAR THAT PHRASE HAS TAKEN NEW AND EVERLASTINGLY REFRESHING MEANING, AND SO i A-D-D "LIVING" TO THE "DEATH AND DYING" EQUATION. "DEATH, DYING, AND THUS, LIVING". I SENT THIS NOTE TO SCOTT THIS MORNING. NOW I FEEL TO EXPOSE MYSELF TO ALL CONCERNED. SEE WHAT YOU THINK OF MY IDEA..........

Oh how I love those and these words........"final suggestion" so bone-up-pa,tete. I am seeing this possibility unfold even as I type. What if our final option (oh how I am loving the final idea, idea) includes presenting our final response to your guy'ss' (nice huh?) very specific and FINAL parameters in any way we see fit, probably cleared by you guys' of course? I'm thinking the opportunity you have build into the schedule for some sort of presentation could be done as the final. I (think) I would like to prepare and present a verbal and visual literary collage of my experience this semester. In view of the pen-ile's power to unconsciously shift me into an altered-identity, I am prepared to expose the created and leaned on alternative man--reality, by piercing and sharing the constructed shell in which I have survived for life-time(s). I am seeing, clarifying, and being introduced to a Michael I am vaguely familiar with. "Oh yes, Sybil, come out, come out, from where ever." That is, I am willing to pat, the man who really believes there to be a, some sort of, of steamy, muscular, tall, non-vulgar man-industrial strength concretely abstract persona willing to be responsible, one who becomes real-ity with every breath of miraculous foamy hope of becoming something THAT ISN’T, without rules and commandments, on the back, and say "bone-up-pa's-ass, dude, bag-it, get out, credit for time served!!!" I have begun preparing such an idea and will present it even if you dont feel to count it as the final. Perhaps a paper along with the presentation???????I dont know the full ramifications of this endeavor, all I know is that becoming, no clarifying my view of that door over there in my peripheral scope of things is historically relevant. I am seeing a little doggy door, small but very important down close to the BIG (WITH THE LETTERS "EDIC...." OVER A GOLD STAR AND SPELLING BACKWARDS) DOOR's floor, I see sweet little furry doggy (remember, I think I told you I was bitten by a dog in childhood) beliefs, realities moving away, going through that one way door, releasing their old friend to be........Maybe this note is the opening paragraph of the presentation...........

l
o
v
e y...............................
r l
l r
y......... e
v
o
l
MY "LOVERLY" SALUTATION CAME OUT A VERY DIFFERENT HERE THAN IN THE ORIGINAL EMAIL......MAYBE THIS RENDITION SAYS IT ALLLLLL

CHEERS........

michael morrow said...

oh boy, HOLY MOLELY, I'm working at, no really I'm only testing the verbal waters here. I cant decide whether or not my choice to use expletive vulgarity serves me well or what. This doggone Travis has done me again. This article he has us reading for tomorrow has me in a dither, especially after my last posting. I agree with the article that "In societies dominated by modern conditions of production, life is presented as an immense accumulation of 'spectacles.' Everything that was directly lived has receded into a representation." That is precisely what my vulgar expressions are attempting to circumvent within my little sphere of influence. Since I have chosen to take stock of my little half acre of life, I am in charge. i.e. I dont think there is such a "thing" as taking the lord's name in vain, unless it is my name I have taken in vain. Thus, by relinquishing title to my little half acre of life, I recede into representation where I give up title to my life. Am I wacky here? or what? The article says that "fragmented views of reality regroup themselves into a new unity as a separate pseudoworld that can only be looked at." Well hell, is my vulgar world the separate pseudoworld, where there is no vain repetition of lord-guy's name unless I say so??

I really like this article. It's out there where I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua Hawaii, where the Humuhumunukuapu go swim'n by......... Just thought I'd spell out where I'll be sleeping tonight.

michael morrow said...

I cant let this go by,,,,,,,,it's humuhumunukunukuapua'a

michael morrow said...

I think this is the deal.......and I see that our management of the readings the past three months an example of what the article speaks to. We have read many very important thinkers in this class. I have enjoyed everyone of them, and read each one carefully, I might add. Now here's the POSSIBLE rub: seems to me that "modern conditions of productions" make life, turn life, life becomes, life mimics, life is lived according to, life is consistently a reflection of what is most prevalent to each individual person in their "conditionally productive" life. When life is a system of conditional production, made to appear cookie cutter,"it is presented as an immense accumulation of spectacles." Now I find the word "spectacles" very interesting here. Spectacles are an instrument used to clarify, magnify, and make (apparent?). They could also be said to distort reality. In other words if my vision is poor and I employ a set of spectacles, and my vision improves, is the improved vision not a pseudoworld of fragmented regroupings of reunited representations? And is not all vision, at some very basic, maybe even remote, place, anything more than a pseudo regrouping of fragmented representations. And there is no place and no time "conditional production" is not underway. Now here's what I want to do, without (or maybe with it serves) turning the discussion into a mass therapy session: I think we need to be very specific and personal about how all the readings work within our conditionally productive pseudoworld of fragmented representations.
I'm going to try this again as an example of what I'm talking about, maybe it will be what I deem conditionally productive, maybe it will be something else. I am going to reproduce an "immense accumulation of spectacles" as I reproduced in the original email I sent to Scott this morning. I closed that note with the word "loverly" (an immense accumulation of spectac(u)le(r) letters)I will write the word "loverly" in the same way I originally wrote it in that first email. My plan is to see if this machine, representing "a society dominated by modern conditions of productions" how my very sincere salutation faires in the translation between this moment and its arrival at your fragmented view of regrouped reality.

here is my salutary bon voyage...

l
o
v y......
e l
r r
l e
y....... v
o
l

michael morrow said...

I think this is the deal.......and I see that our management of the readings the past three months an example of what the article speaks to. We have read many very important thinkers in this class. I have enjoyed everyone of them, and read each one carefully, I might add. Now here's the POSSIBLE rub: seems to me that "modern conditions of productions" make life, turn life, life becomes, life mimics, life is lived according to, life is consistently a reflection of what is most prevalent to each individual person in their "conditionally productive" life. When life is a system of conditional production, made to appear cookie cutter,"it is presented as an immense accumulation of spectacles." Now I find the word "spectacles" very interesting here. Spectacles are an instrument used to clarify, magnify, and make (apparent?). They could also be said to distort reality. In other words if my vision is poor and I employ a set of spectacles, and my vision improves, is the improved vision not a pseudoworld of fragmented regroupings of reunited representations? And is not all vision, at some very basic, maybe even remote, place, anything more than a pseudo regrouping of fragmented representations. And there is no place and no time "conditional production" is not underway. Now here's what I want to do, without (or maybe with it serves) turning the discussion into a mass therapy session: I think we need to be very specific and personal about how all the readings work within our conditionally productive pseudoworld of fragmented representations.
I'm going to try this again as an example of what I'm talking about, maybe it will be what I deem conditionally productive, maybe it will be something else. I am going to reproduce an "immense accumulation of spectacles" as I reproduced in the original email I sent to Scott this morning. I closed that note with the word "loverly" (an immense accumulation of spectac(u)le(r) letters)I will write the word "loverly" in the same way I originally wrote it in that first email. My plan is to see if this machine, representing "a society dominated by modern conditions of productions" how my very sincere salutation faires in the translation between this moment and its arrival at your fragmented view of regrouped reality.

here is my salutary bon voyage...

l
o
v y......
e l
r r
l e
y....... v
o
l