As my first interdisciplinary conference in a while wound down, I paused to reflect on lessons learned & reminders of the value of diverse views.
This conference was different for me.
Because while I saw many familiar faces,many of my familiar friends did not attend, so I had to extend myself, & talk to new people.
I also took time to attend presentations that sit in adjacent areas to my discipline.
What was notable, was that many of the people that I met, I only knew by reputation, & had heard mixed reviews & many of the adjacent talks used methods and theories that have fallen out of favor in my field.
As the week progressed, what I came to know, was that the mixed reviews of people were generally unfair & that the out of favor methods and theories remain potent.
I ended my week more optimistic about the future of academe & confident in our ability to address pressing problems found outside the ivory tower.
If ever afforded the chance, a few tips for early (or late) career scholars attending an interdisciplinary event.
First, your tendency will be to flock to your field.
There is nothing wrong with getting to know new people in your area.
Sort out where they sit & attend their events.
Second, drop your assumptions about good scholarship.
Often, disciplines are built around shared rules & norms.
Your discipline’s beliefs are not the only way to view the world.
Set aside your worldview, & open your mind to different ways of seeing.
It was nice to see presentations informed by classic organizational theories & methods - it reminded me of a whole class of questions that are worthy of investigating.
Third, seek out alternative points of view.
Read the program and seek out fresh ideas.
We all read and see similar phenomena in practice.
You will likely be surprised by how many takes there are on questions that you & your friends study.
You will be even more surprised by the methods that you see employed to answer familiar questions.
Good work often resides at the intersection of adjacent disciplines- take advantage of the moment to think about what is next & create an intersection that informs your work.
Fourth, attend social events & business meetings.
The norms underpin disciplines go beyond research - the way people talk to each other, the body language, even the norms for ‘away from conference fun’ vary widely.
Take some time to learn about different ways of doing things.
Finally, be open minded.
Much of what you heard about people & groups is likely exaggerated.
I have run into senior people in my field & others - I’m constantly surprised by the humility & humor of allegedly arrogant or sour academics.
When everyone is ‘out of disciplinary waters’ & swimming together - you have a chance to form your own opinions about their character.
I hope everyone takes time to step out of their comfort zone in the coming year!
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