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Mess among Disciplines: Interdisciplinarity in Environmental Research

Author

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  • Andrew Donaldson

    (School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, England)

  • Neil Ward

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7JT, England)

  • Sue Bradley

    (Centre for Rural Economy, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, England)

Abstract

This paper discusses interdisciplinary collaboration between social and natural scientists from the perspective of ‘mess’. The literature on interdisciplinarity has generated a series of conventions about what it means to conduct interdisciplinary research. Building on the experience of a research project that brought social and natural scientists together with local residents to study flooding, we argue that interdisciplinarity can be understood as a response to mess, to the irreducibly complex problems of the world. Mess can be dealt with as an epistemological or ontological problem. We argue that discursive conventions focus on the epistemological dimensions of mess and thus have their limits. By considering the ontological dimensions of mess the whole range of objects that are involved in interdisciplinary research is brought into focus.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Donaldson & Neil Ward & Sue Bradley, 2010. "Mess among Disciplines: Interdisciplinarity in Environmental Research," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(7), pages 1521-1536, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:42:y:2010:i:7:p:1521-1536
    DOI: 10.1068/a42483
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. C. Hinrichs, 2008. "Interdisciplinarity and boundary work: challenges and opportunities for agrifood studies," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 25(2), pages 209-213, June.
    2. Philip Lowe & Jeremy Phillipson, 2006. "Reflexive Interdisciplinary Research: The Making of a Research Programme on the Rural Economy and Land Use," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 165-184, July.
    3. Robert Evans & Simon Marvin, 2006. "Researching the Sustainable City: Three Modes of Interdisciplinarity," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(6), pages 1009-1028, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hoolohan, Claire & McLachlan, Carly & Larkin, Alice, 2019. "‘Aha’ moments in the water-energy-food nexus: A new morphological scenario method to accelerate sustainable transformation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    2. Irvine, Katherine N. & O’Brien, Liz & Ravenscroft, Neil & Cooper, Nigel & Everard, Mark & Fazey, Ioan & Reed, Mark S. & Kenter, Jasper O., 2016. "Ecosystem services and the idea of shared values," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PB), pages 184-193.
    3. L. J. Bracken & E. A. Oughton & A. Donaldson & B. Cook & J. Forrester & C. Spray & S. Cinderby & D. Passmore & N. Bissett, 2016. "Flood risk management, an approach to managing cross-border hazards," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 82(2), pages 217-240, June.

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