The
study of technology and society is inherently multi-disciplinary.
Most scholars working in this area ground their investigations
and claims in a home discipline and methodology, but find themselves
of necessity exploring literatures and paradigms from others
as well.
In some cases, the tools necessary for understanding problems
fully are spread across disciplines, and in others it is simply
the case
that many scholars have arrived at an examination of the same
phenomenon from different directions.
For doctoral students preparing for dissertation
work and in progress on dissertations dealing with information
technology and society,
a systematic introduction to the paradigms and literatures
relevant to
their interests from outside their home department is vital to
cutting-edge scholarship. A doctoral emphasis provides the curriculum
for
approaching these broader intellectual terrains.
A structured introduction to thinking and research
from other perspectives has both short and long-term benefits. In
the short run, it can help
students frame
dissertation questions in novel, creative ways and can give them broader
tools for answering them. An official marker or designation of
multi-disciplinary
training attached to a doctorate in an established discipline is an advantage
on the academic job market. Interest in hiring scholars with expertise in
information technology and society is clear at many universities.
In the longer term, multi-disciplinary exposure from
graduate school can
prove very useful to mid-career scholars expanding their networks at universities
and moving into positions of administration and campus decision-making,
because it
provides a basis for understanding the larger workings of the academy.
Almost invariably those in positions of responsibility at universities
evince an
appreciation
for multiple approaches to intellectual life.
