Gavin, Ken, Chris, John, et al,
I very much appreciate the discussion and contributions that many of you are
making on the definition of disciplines and whether design is a discipline
or not. I have learned a great deal.
But little of this is relevant in the realm of the typical American
university, where architecture, engineering, and design are taught or
outside academe in the respective design professions. The reality is that
disciplinary silos exist and breaking down the barriers is no easy task.
Telling faculty members and students that graphic design, for example, is
not a discipline because it does not fit one definition or another is a moot
point. They perceive graphic design as a discipline and no dictionary
definition is going to change their perception. End of conversation.
My first post was predicated on John's post, which seemed to allude to a
disciplinary dilemma when he cited, "...problem solving preferences to a
significant degree transcend disciplines..." and ended with "What's the fuss
about disciplines?" I agree with the citation and with John. Effective
problem solving should rise above the limitations imposed by one discipline
or another. Nevertheless, the reality, at least in the USA, is that design
disciplines do exist. They have professional associations that define their
scope of activity. Some even control the professional practice of the
discipline through licensing. Accreditation agencies approve disciplinary
curricula at the universities. Together, silos are not only created but are
reinforced. To state that design is not a discipline may be correct in
theory; in practice, it does not move us forward.
Consequently, the challenge becomes one of working over, under, or around
these disciplinary walls. This is why I stated that perhaps asking students
what they want to do as opposed to what they want to be is a first step in
that direction. I would like to hear from other educators and professionals
on other ways that we can surmount the walls of the disciplines.
Jacques Giard, PhD
Director and Professor
Cross-College Programs
BA/MSD/PhD
College of Design
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-2105
P 480.965.1373
F 480.965.9656
The College of Design‹selected by Business Week as one of the top 60 global
D-schools!
On 9/30/07 3:00 PM, "Gavin Melles" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ** High Priority **
> ** Reply Requested When Convenient **
>
> Hello all
> The empirical sociological literature on academic disciplines
> (including Becher and Trowler) shows us that like many other
> concepts the notion of discipline and other key terms, discourse
> community, profession, etc., are all relational terms. That is they
> signal certain kinds of affiliations and practices through which we
> can categorize albeit in continua like ways the strength and
> characteristics of certain groups (or collectives, communities, etc.
> - these terms also have different relative meanings). My reading of
> the limited literature on design disciplines sees lots of
> programmatic and interested statements about what they are or are
> not but little if any empirical sociological studies (there are one
> or two). The terms profession, field and discipline are often used
> interchangeably but may be distinguished for research purposes and
> probably should be. To some extent the 'blase - we do it all'
> attitude of designers (not so much architects and engineers who
> already have professional and social status) and particular
> representatives seems to some extent to be a disguised reaction to
> an inferiority complex, perhaps. Anyway Sunday afternoon Melbourne
> 20 cents worth.
>
> Gavin Melles
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