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Mohd Ismaeel
Dr. Sameena Khan
Pool 4 Paper 2 (Comparative Literature )
Oct 03, 2020
Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary and Transdisciplinary
Discipline: Today there have been rapid developments in the field of education but if we
look back, in pre-literature society, education was achieved orally and through observation and
imitation. But with the passage of time, different skills and activities become more specialized
due to generation of new knowledge and new discoveries. Each discovery and innovation
enriched human's understanding in different field of knowledge. The gaining of experience in
different fields and their further specialization results in the organization of knowledge of
various field. This organized body of knowledge of a particular field termed as "Disciple".
Interdisciplinary: the word interdisciplinary consists of two words. First word is 'inter'
which means among or between. Second word is 'disciplinary' which means relating to a
particular field of study or we can say a particular subject or genre. So Interdisciplinary approach
is a mode of research that integrates information, data, concept or theories from two or more
disciplines. It basically allows deviations. It is opposite to very neat and strict patterns of study.
It gives freedom. It ends artificial barriers that separate one form of knowledge to another.
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Anything that connects knowledge to life is at once multi and interdisciplinary. For example: I
read a novel, a poem or anything else and compare it with another kind of genre like drama,
painting or Films it's Interdisciplinary approach. Comparative Literature in itself is an
Interdisciplinary field.
Multidisciplinary: Multidisciplinary is also consists of two words. First one is 'multi'
which means many, more than one. Second word is 'disciplinary' which means relating to a
particular field of study. Multidisciplinary refers to a combination of various disciplines and each
discipline retains its own uniqueness. Multidisciplinary approach is like a bowl of mixed fruit,
each fruit repenting a single discipline. For example : in comparative literature, we take novel,
poem, drama, movies, paintings, sculptures and combine these various disciplines in order to
compare with each other. Some times Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary are
interchangeable.
Transdisciplinary: Transdisciplinary is one step ahead of interdisciplinary and
multidisciplinary. It is also the combination of two words. First one is 'trans' which means across
or beyond. It signifies a research which is carried out among different subjects, moves through
and go beyond them. It integrates information or concepts across or beyond disciplines.
Transdisciplinary approach is a collection between the disciplines with sharing and application of
skills, tools and philosophy of different discipline. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary works
within the framework of discipline but Transdisciplinary works across the disciplines and beyond
the disciplines. In this disciplinary we are not bound to work within the same kind of disciplines
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but we can go beyond the particular discipline. Transdisciplinary is the exploration of relevant
issue or problem that integrates the perspectives of multiple discipline in order to connect new
knowledge and deeper understanding. For example: In comparative literature if we compare a
novel with a history book or with a sociology book, it will be the Transdisciplinary approach.
Name : MOHD ISMAEEL
Class : MA English 3rd Semester
Roll No : 19-ENM-15
EN No : GI9790
