Finding the Studs

Imagine, if you will, that you have just moved into a trendy refurbished loft in downtown wherever. The location is amazing - it's above a hip Canadian Fusion restaurant and next to the world-renowned Interactive Theremin Museum. It has a gorgeous view of a crystal clear river. The building is over 100 years old and, according to the landlord, it was once a speakeasy. On one side of the apartment, there is a large blank wall. You have a framed portrait of your grandmother that you need hang on this wall. The wall has clearly been re-coated with drywall, even though it backs up to the theremin museum, and the restaurant's hood vents behind the drywall create a couple of column-like protrusions.

As you stare at the wall, you remember your landlord warned you to be careful, because the wiring in the building is a little finicky and he's surprised no one's blown up the whole place, and that if you damage anything in the apartment you'll lose your $4,000 deposit.

You have a bit of a problem here, don't you? You have this picture to hang (and you must hang it up because Grandma Gertrude is visiting soon and she made it clear that your inheritance depended on the portrait's being in a prominent location of your home) but you don't have a clue where to mount it to the wall. So many factors intertwine to make this giant wall a system of complex wires, all with another unique system depending on their proper functioning.  Some wires lead to a restaurant that needs them to power the stove and the flat screen TV at the bar, which they depend on to sell food and drink. Others lead to the Theremin museum, and still others lead to your baseboard heat (it's January).

You get the idea: this wall is actually the interface of an overwhelmingly complex system of physical, social, and even fiscal factors.  Still, despite the unknown arrangement of the wires, you need to hang this picture. You have a few options:

1. Assume the risk of nailing into the wall is too great and accept that your twerpy little brother will get your share of the inheritance
2. Ignore the complexity, thinking, "It's too complicated to even think about! As long as the picture's up who cares what's attached to them?" (an hour later, the Theremin museum shuts down and the restaurant tosses 200 pounds of spoiled salmon)
3. Find the studs - take the time to consider the impact of your picture-hanging and seek out those points on the wall that have the potential to hold the weight of Granny's portrait

You know the best option - find the studs. Look beyond the wall as a whole and find the places behind it that present the strongest point to focus your efforts. Then, with a better understanding of the system as a whole, make Granny happy and hang her portrait.

This scenario characterizes many complex topics that interdisciplinary scholars address in their research. The complex relationships among many social, historical, and environmental conditions shape an topic (for example, downtown revitalization efforts). Similarly, the complex relationships between the wires that power the building and the conditions of several external influences (granny and the landlord) shape the system of our wall. If we want to hang the picture safely, we need to consider the building in its entirety and then look for the best area to mount the frame to the wall. If we want to move toward a successful downtown revitalization, we need to consider the system as a whole and then address the underlying relationships using multiple disciplinary perspectives.

That said, most issues are so complex that it's impossible to attempt to address every contributing factor in one program of study, much less one paper. While it's important to realize the complexity of your topic, it's equally important to find the points within the system where there's an opportunity to expand knowledge about part of the system - knowledge that can later serve to strengthen understanding of the system as a whole.

As you move forward in your program of study, look at complex problems not as impenetrable walls, but as multilayered systems presenting many opportunities for further study. Even with the most complex problems, there are relationships among complicating factors where you can find a solid opportunity to build an argument.  By focusing on one or two elements of a complex problem and utilizing the multidisciplinary approaches best suited to each respective element, you can do two rather paradoxical things at once: effectively address a complex issue and generate a solid focus for your paper.

Find the studs, and start hanging that portrait.

Next time, I'll elaborate on ways to approach complexity as you begin the writing process. 

One Word for Interdisciplinary Writing in 2011

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but here we are about a week into 2011. Over the past week, I have spent some time thinking about how to kick off the new year, blogospherically speaking. Given the nature of my blog - writing issues for MALS students - it has been a bit of a challenge. The event of a new calendar year does not carry the same symbolic sense of renewal for a graduate student as it may for the average person; your milestones are set and met in terms of papers finished and semesters completed.

That said, I'm going to adopt a New Year's-based theme to begin 2011 and take the "one word" challenge. I am borrowing this idea from Katie Pozzuoli, author of Within Reach (who, in full disclosure, happens to be my cousin). She writes of her resolution to choose "one word" that will carry a special significance during the upcoming year; the idea being that this word will shape the way she approaches her actions and decisions over the next year, in every aspect of her life.

It's an interesting and refreshing alternative to a New Years resolution, and as I read Pozzouli's post, I thought to myself, "How might this "One Word" idea apply to interdisciplinary writers? What word might I suggest to MALS students that could adequately inform the mighty task of writing across several disciplines?" At first I dismissed the idea of applying the One-Word challenge to this blog. Interdisciplinary scholarship seemed far too complex to risk oversimplifying with a one-word characterization. Then it dawned on me.....

Complex.

What word better describes a MALS program of study and reminds us of why an interdisciplinary approach to our chosen areas of scholarship is necessary? Is it not the complexity of our chosen subjects, coupled with a recognition that a single disciplinary approach might not adequately produce useful knowledge about them, that prompted us to become interdisciplinary scholars in the first place?

Learning to accept complexity as a positive condition of interdisciplinary scholarship is key to getting the most out of your MALS experience. In fact, learning to actively seek out complexities in situations that on the surface seem straightforward can lead to some pretty exciting research topics! Recognizing complexity in your chosen area of study and meeting it as a friendly challenge rather than a frustrating roadblock to understanding will free you to concentrate on creating new knowledge about your interests.

I'd like to devote the next few blog entries to a mini-serious about the condition of complexity in interdisciplinary writing. As you enjoy the last few days of winter break, take a few minutes to think about complexity in your program of study. What historical events, cultural influences, or geographic conditions have contributed to your area of interest? How have they worked together to shape how your subject exists or operates today? As you consider these factors, try not to let the layers of complexity snowball and overwhelm you; rather, concentrate on why you decided to pursue your program of study in the first place. Chances are your interest is a result of the fascinating complexities that make your subject worth studying.

Throughout January and part of February, I'll be writing about ways to approach the inherent complexity in interdisciplinary scholarship in terms of writing, so check the blog frequently. Even better, follow my blog! I also encourage you to post comments with questions about complexity in interdisciplinary writing.

Enjoy the remainder of winter break, and Happy New Year!!!