Skip to Main Content
Buena Vista University

IDST400 Challenges for the 21st Century

Links provided here will be useful for sections of IDST400 as sources are gathered for the Signature Assignment.

Identifying other disciplines that inform your 21st century problem

Good overall understanding of the problem is best supported by reading widely.  You may pick up mentions of other disciplines as you research.

Example: homelessness is a huge issue in the field of social work, but as you read you discover research about the trauma of homelessness, specifically on children.   What does the field of education  or psychology have to say about that?  Are there medical implications related to the growth and development of homeless children?

As you read sources, keep track of subject headings, keywords and journal titles mentioned in connection to articles on your topic to see what other disciplines are suggested.  Also be aware that different disciplines may use different words to describe the same thing. 

Example: racial profiling is a concern within the criminal justice field, but this article cited below about racial profiling is not published in a journal that sounds like it is strictly limited to criminal justice issues. Journal of African American Studies suggests that there may be sociological and psychological implications to be explored as well.  

Paul, J., & Birzer, M. (2017). The Experiences of Black Police Officers Who Have Been Racially Profiled: an Exploratory Research Note. Journal of African American Studies, 21(4), 567+.  https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A518212791/PPCJ?u=buenavista&sid=PPCJ&xid=9a80cee2

 

Some BVU databases have a “multidisciplinary” designation can help you find that “other” discipline.  This isn’t a complete list, but here are two of the larger multidisciplinary databases.

Credo Reference lists the titles of encyclopedias from different disciplines, which may help lead you to another disciplinary focus.  A search for “social inequality” results in over 5000 encyclopedia entries.  Click the “All Subjects” drop-down menu to see how those entries are divided up between encyclopedia of different disciplines.  Select a subject and read a few encyclopedia articles to immerse yourself in another discipline on that subject.

 

Screen shot of Credo Reference search with subject areas displayed