Environmental studies: discipline or metadiscipline
Environmental studies do not comprise a discipline in the conventional sense. Instead, the term environmental studies identifies a focus of many disciplines upon an integrating concept, the interactions of humankind with its environment. But environmental studies are more than a multidisciplinary collage under a common rubric. The elements of environmental understanding are drawn from many disciplines, but to obtain that understanding the interrelationships among relevant disciplinary knowledge must be synthesized into coherent and comprehensive theory. Environmental studies, to achieve their purpose, must become interdisciplinary, thus achieving a new level in the integration of knowledge. In this sense environmental studies may be appropriately described as a metadiscipline. This thesis holds implications for curricula in environmental studies, primarily that academic instruction in environmental studies will fall short of its full potential if it comprises no more than multidisciplinary course offerings. How to develop a metadisciplinary curriculum that is comprehensive, coherent, focused, and flexible is a very big challenge for environmental educators. 23 references.
- Research Organization:
- Indiana Univ., Bloomington
- OSTI ID:
- 7121934
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Prof.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Prof.; (United States) Vol. 5:3/4; ISSN EPROD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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