Recently in Episode - 61 of 'Headlines ke Peche Shekhar ke Saath' of The Print (Digital News), one of the viewer's asked Shekhar Gupta (editor-in-chief) - Why is there so much fuss about syllabus changes in NCERT Social Science? Social Sciences and History don't impart any marketable skills nor provide job opportunities. So, why are students still studying these subjects and yet hope to build a career out of this? (paraphrased in my words).
Such questions reflect the larger issues pertaining to the mindset of the mainstream society which is lopsided in favour of STEM. (We did discuss this phenomenon at length in our previous blog. Please do check out:). These prevailing career beliefs make our efforts worthwhile and motivate us to write on the intersection of STEM and Non-STEM (Humanities) careers to raise awareness, broaden the tunnel vision and expand the choices for career selection among parents and students.
In our previous blog, we made a case for the interdisciplinary problem solving approach in 21st century, challenges which are complex and have global implications for humanity at large.
In this blog, we attempt to distill down these esoteric thoughts to practicality and practice of such interdisciplinary disciplines.
So let's begin by peeling off the first layer of the onion :)
What is Interdisciplinary? The term “interdisciplinary” refers to the
interconnectedness of subjects or disciplines. It brings together various branches of knowledge and encourages the individuals to assimilate
multiple perspectives and connect the dots!
Example, the economic downturn of a country (think contemporary Sri Lankan crisis) may put the economists at the center. However, the economist does not function in isolation and has to collaborate and work in integration with politicians, bureaucrats, think tanks, policy makers, researchers, inter-governmental agencies, social workers, local communities, businesses (big and small) etc. to plan, execute and audit such large-scale policy matters and its on-the-ground implementation.
Of course, by no means we can cover the length and breadth of all Interdisciplinary Courses and Careers being offered. We are making an attempt here to provide some glimpses of the practice of interdisciplinary careers, so that it removes the blind spots of students and expands their mind-space, so that they can make the right career choices.
POLICY STUDIES
As the name suggests, Policy Studies analyzes the very process of policy-making, and emphasizes on understanding the contents of policy.
It contributes significantly to several aspects of National Development such as Politics, Governance, Education, Urban Planning, Sanitation, Economics, Technology, Health and Public Welfare, Agriculture, Social Justice, Employment, International Relations, and so on.
As a member of a policy think tank, an individual is expected to investigate, study and analyze various policies of a particular area on National Development and recommend changes or suggestions to improve the same, be it on the basis of its contents or the manner of implementation.
Policy Studies takes precedence among most areas since it offers individuals the opportunity to work with reputed scholars and experts to create a positive impact on real-world events with respect to the state per se.
Eligibility: While this is a subset of Political Science, Policy Studies can be pursued by individuals from non-Humanities fields as well. For instance, opportunities for internship in the areas of Communication and Administration can be considered by Commerce as well as Mass Communication students.
At the same time, candidates with a UG/PG degree in Engineering, Law or Geography can apply for research positions related to water governance and GIS. Institutes such as certain IITs and the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) invite applicants to conduct research and join scholars and bureaucrats from different fields as part of their respective policy think tanks.
MEMORY STUDIES
A very recent development in academia, Memory Studies is one such domain which brings three vastly different disciplines together - XR technology, Cognitive Science, and Literature.
Dealing exclusively with the processes of remembrance and forgetting, Memory Studies is oriented towards extensive research on the methods of creating, retaining, and forgetting memories at the individual and collective level.
The collaboration of Extended Reality or XR [the umbrella term for AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality)] with Cognitive Science stands as a promising subfield as far as Digital Archives are concerned. Associating these two subjects with Literature, on the other hand, further extends the reach of Memory Studies to assimilate the study of personal experiences (for instance through War, Trauma, and Illness) in the overall research.
Eligibility: Students from the areas of Psychology, Literature, as well as Computer Sciences can partake as research associates or interns at the Centre of Memory Studies of IIT Madras to be involved in various projects and conferences that provide more opportunities of development in this field. Students can consider this area of studies after the completion of their postgraduate degree.
DIGITAL HUMANITIES
This domain of academics strikes (or rather endeavors to strike) a balance between STEM and non-STEM studies. Digital Humanities encompasses the modes of implementation of digital technologies in the course of studying Humanities subjects.
At the same time, it also looks at the methods of analyzing digital technology from the lens of Humanities. The symbiotic relationship between these two has opened the floodgates of research in an array of fields - Game studies/Ludology, Digital Archiving, Data Science, Product Designing, Library Science, Software Engineering, and so on. In short, the possibilities in Digital Humanities are endless.
Eligibility: Interested students can choose to pursue a PhD in Digital Humanities from any of the IITs and IISERs. Several other universities also encourage research in this field, albeit under the discipline of Liberal Arts. Candidates can keep a track on the latest developments in the field of Digital Humanities so that they can identify their research interests accordingly.
SOCIOLOGY
Perhaps Sociology is the only subject from among other Social Sciences that is intricately connected with almost every other subject pertaining to human development and welfare. As a discipline that focuses exclusively on the study of human society, Sociology provides ample options to students to pursue unconventional career paths.
For instance, a postgraduate degree in Social Work can help candidates land a job in a corporate organization, as part of CSR initiatives. Other areas that Sociology students can consider as potential professional opportunities include being a Research Intern/Associate/Analyst at an educational or R&D institution, specializing in Development Studies, Dalit and Tribal Studies, Anthropology, Environmental Sociology, New Media Studies, Food and Nutrition, Markets and Economies, Urban Sociology, and the list goes on.
Eligibility: Individuals with a Sociology degree can either go ahead with a postgraduate degree in any of the aforementioned subjects at premier HSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) institutions, or become a member of think tanks such as CPR to get more exposure in their respective fields.
ELT and TESL/TEFL/TESOL
English Language Teaching (ELT) courses have gathered much prominence over the years. Although there are only a handful of institutes that offer Diploma or Certificate courses on:
- ELT (English Language Teaching)
- TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language)
- TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
- TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
With a Diploma in ELT or TESL/TEFL/TESOL, one can work as a certified trainer at British Council (while fulfilling the other necessary criteria). One can opt to become an Instructional Designer at major IT and EdTech organizations to help develop the curriculum structure and implement digital tools in schools across the globe. The demands for ELT experts have risen substantially in the post-pandemic world (possibly due to the growth of digital/Ed-Tech platforms).
Eligibility: Aspirants can consider pursuing a postgraduate degree in ELT from major universities that specialize in Language Teaching and Research, such as the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad. One can opt for a Diploma in ELT/TESL/TEFL/TESOL from EFLU or other prominent language institutes. Most importantly, it is important to stay in touch with the major innovations in this field so that students can choose their options wisely.
SPORTS STUDIES
Yes, a field that amalgamates sports and games with Humanities. While Ludology (under Digital Humanities) is more oriented towards the game itself, Sports Studies looks at the historical, social, economic, political, and cultural impact of a sport or game on the real world.
Be it the commercialization of cricket through franchise cricket or political allegations against some countries during the Olympics, Sports Studies encompasses the modes in which sporting events influence the world we live in.
Eligibility: Although Indian academia is yet to recognize its potential, students can pursue this field via a postgraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Policy Studies (IITs) or Cultural Studies (such as EFLU, Jamia Milia, TISS, Christ University, Tezpur University, etc.). Professionally, they can work as research scholars, sports journalists, Sports Management experts, or even as advisers to certain sports organizations to help develop their administrative structure and policy-making procedures.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) LAW at IIT Kharagpur
The IP Law program integrates technology and law to build technical lawyers with expertise to deal with legal issues in the interface of technology and law. IIT Kharagpur offers this program at two levels - L.L.B. and L.L.M.
Eligibility: Students require a first class Bachelor's Degree in Engineering/Technology/Medicine or a first class Masters in Science or Pharmacy, or a first class MBA degree with any of the aforementioned.
INTERDISCIPLINARY MAJORS at Ashoka University
Ashoka University offers multiple interdisciplinary majors which combines related fields and explores new approaches to study a particular field. These courses break down the traditional boundaries of disciplines/departments and give students an opportunity to combine multiple academic interests into a single degree program.
- B.Sc. COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP,
- B.Sc. MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE,
- B.A. ENGLISH AND CREATIVE WRITING,
- BSc ECONOMICS AND FINANCE,
- B.A. ECONOMICS AND HISTORY,
- B.A. ENGLISH AND MEDIA STUDIES,
- B.A. ENGLISH AND PERFORMING ARTS,
- B.A. HISTORY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,
- B.A. POLITICS, PHILOSOPHY AND ECONOMICS
Eligibility: Students can seek admissions at the undergraduate level.
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
This is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on aspects related to social and economic development. This discipline shapes students into specialists who are trained to apply their expertise in a specific profession at a mass level to help a country develop.
For example, a Psychologist could help the children of a country recover from the trauma inflicted by wars. Similarly, a Civil Engineer could help a country develop new networks of roads, or a Lawyer could help a country draft a new constitution.
Eligibility: Students can choose to graduate with a degree in Development Studies. Or, students who have completed their graduation in any field (Humanities can be useful) can become a fully-qualified professional in their specific area of practice, followed by Post-Graduation/Diploma in Development Studies.
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, Tamil Nadu is a reputed institute offering programs in Development Studies.
To wrap things up, let's go back to the beginning - the question from the viewer:
Why is there so much fuss about syllabus changes in NCERT Social Science? Social Sciences and History don't impart any marketable skills nor provide job opportunities. So, why are students still studying these subjects and yet hope to build a career out of this?
The response from Shekhar Gupta (paraphrased in my words):
Humans are born as humans (as persons) and not born as Engineers or Doctors. The profession of the person evolves much later in life. Through their education and career choices, they become an Engineer, Doctor, Journalist, IAS etc.
Human beings have to become well-rounded person first.
Imagine, from class I, if a child is being taught to become an Engineer or a Doctor, the child will grow up not having an understanding of who they are?, what is their past?, what is their present context?, their society, their culture.
In fact, the global trend now is that many renowned Science and Technology Institutes are establishing departments of Social Sciences, Humanities, Liberal Arts (such as the IITs in India). This mass-shift is happening for developing persons with an all-encompassing outlook towards the world in general. Especially in the era of AI, ML and Robotics, there is a need for our next generation to become well-rounded people and not just remain a techie, or programmed like a robot.
It is also a wrong notion that Social Studies does not lead to career opportunities. Prominent examples include IAS officers, many of whom have a background of Social Studies.
It is wrong to consider studies only for the sake of employment. Studies can also look forward to knowledge enhancement and seek for true education. If anyone can look up online about the 10 most influential people in the world, 5 of them will turn out to be philosophers.
In today's as well the future's context, Science, Technology, Social Sciences and Liberal Arts exist together in an interdisciplinary association, and not one particular discipline can exist in isolation.
Indeed, a food for thought to ponder over! And we do resonate 100% with this philosophy. What about you?
To put simply, magic awaits at the intersection of STEM and Non-STEM (humanities) disciplines. It is time to do away with all our biases and expand our horizons to STEM and Beyond! And, it is does sound similar to Buzz Lightyear's famous words, "To infinity and beyond!" (Toy Story). Well, that's how we define "interdisciplinary" and join the dots as well!
Images: Created by AI (bing.com)
Blog Collaborator:
Apurba Ganguly (she/her) is an English Literature student, pursuing B.Ed (English). She has been eager to understand the intricacies of Memory Studies and Visual Narratives.
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