What is transdisciplinarity?
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Understanding Transdisciplinarity: A Comprehensive Overview
Definition and Concept of Transdisciplinarity
Transdisciplinarity is a concept that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries to address complex, real-world problems by integrating knowledge from various fields and involving multiple stakeholders, including non-academic participants 14. This approach is distinct from interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity, as it not only combines insights from different disciplines but also incorporates the perspectives and expertise of practitioners, policymakers, and the public 17.
Historical Context and Evolution
The concept of transdisciplinarity emerged in response to the limitations of traditional disciplinary approaches in addressing multifaceted societal issues. It gained prominence in the 1970s, driven by the need for more holistic and integrative methods in science and education . After a period of relative dormancy, transdisciplinarity re-emerged in the 1990s, fueled by the urgency of global challenges such as climate change and sustainability . This resurgence highlighted the necessity for engaged, socially responsible science that can tackle "wicked problems" through collaborative and inclusive approaches .
Key Features and Principles
Transdisciplinarity is characterized by several core principles:
- Integration of Diverse Knowledge: It involves the synthesis of knowledge from various disciplines and non-academic sources to create a comprehensive understanding of complex issues 14.
- Stakeholder Involvement: Active participation of stakeholders, including community members, policymakers, and industry representatives, is crucial for generating socially robust knowledge 110.
- Focus on Real-World Problems: Transdisciplinary research is problem-driven, aiming to address pressing societal challenges through practical and actionable solutions 15.
- Collaborative Decision-Making: It emphasizes shared decision-making processes among all participants, fostering mutual learning and co-creation of knowledge 14.
Challenges and Contradictions
Despite its potential, transdisciplinarity faces several challenges. One major issue is the lack of a universally accepted definition, which hampers the establishment of quality standards and consistent funding practices . Additionally, the integration of diverse knowledge systems can create tensions between different epistemic cultures and value systems 26. These contradictions necessitate a careful balance between consolidation and interconnection, as well as between knowledge commodification and mutual learning .
Transdisciplinarity in Practice
In practice, transdisciplinary approaches have been applied to various fields, including health care, environmental science, and urban planning. For instance, in health care, transdisciplinarity involves the collaboration of medical professionals, patients, and community members to improve health outcomes through shared knowledge and decision-making . Similarly, in sustainability research, transdisciplinary projects aim to produce socially robust knowledge that can inform policy and practice, although challenges in knowledge transfer and scalability remain .
Conclusion
Transdisciplinarity represents a promising approach to addressing complex societal problems by integrating diverse knowledge and involving multiple stakeholders. While it faces challenges related to definition, integration, and practical implementation, its potential to generate socially robust and actionable solutions makes it a valuable paradigm in contemporary research and practice. As the concept continues to evolve, fostering capacity for transdisciplinarity and developing supportive institutional frameworks will be crucial for realizing its full potential 23.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Transdisciplinarity in Health Care: A Concept Analysis
Transdisciplinarity in healthcare involves transcending disciplinary boundaries, sharing knowledge, skills, decision-making, and focusing on real-world problems and including multiple stakeholders.
Transdisciplinarity: Context, contradictions and capacity
Universities should focus on developing capacity for transdisciplinarity, rather than just producing knowledge products, to adapt to the shifting knowledge landscape and meet new demands.
Transdisciplinarity as a discipline and a way of being: complementarities and creative tensions
Transdisciplinarity can be considered both a discipline and a way of being, with complementarities and creative tensions in both personal dispositions and academic expression.
Transdisciplinarity: A Review of Its Origins, Development, and Current Issues
Transdisciplinarity, characterized by creative solutions to complex global concerns, has the potential to invigorate scholarly and scientific inquiry both in and outside the academy.
Transdisciplinarity: a new mode of governing science?
Transdisciplinarity is a new mode of governing science in society, integrating extra-academic knowledge, interests, and values into scientific knowledge production processes.
Transdisciplinarity: Science for the public good
Transdisciplinarity, a concept discussed 50 years ago, can be used to address complex societal conditions by establishing a common system of axioms and synthesising higher-order disciplinary relationships.
The real type and ideal type of transdisciplinary processes: part I—theoretical foundations
Transdisciplinary processes can provide socially robust solutions for complex real-world problems by integrating diverse epistemics and fostering multi-stakeholder dialogues.
Achieving the promise of transdisciplinarity: a critical exploration of the relationship between transdisciplinary research and societal problem solving
Transdisciplinarity can produce socially robust knowledge, but it may not necessarily influence change in a sustainable direction due to the need for embedded spaces and diverse knowledge sources.
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