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.