Tieteidenvälisen tutkimuksen asemointi ja yhteiskunnan osasysteemit
Avainsanat:
oikeustiede, yhteiskuntatiede, oikeuden yleistieteet, oikeusteoria, oikeussosiologia, yhteiskuntateoriat, systeemiteoria, oikeus, tiede, tieteidenvälisyys, monitieteisyysAbstrakti
Interdisciplinary research and social systems
The attention on multi-, cross- and interdisciplinary research (for short, interdisciplinary research) is evident today. Research that combines several disciplines aims for interaction between different fields, breaking boundaries and providing new approaches. However, the theoretical positioning of such research may be a challenge. This is because interdisciplinary research can be seen as part of jurisprudence, science, economics, politics or some other social system. At the same time, it can be a connection, a structural coupling between the different systems. The positioning affects the relevance, audience and methodology of the research. The challenge of interdisciplinary research is that the various social systems cannot see each other. In the article, the Theory of Social Systems is analysed in order to shed light on the challenges and advantages of such positioning. The theory illustrates complexity and various functions within society. Interdisciplinary research is first and foremost an internal communication of the system of science. That said, the system of science is pluralistic; it mirrors the other social systems e.g. in the fields of jurisprudence and economics. While planning and positioning an interdisciplinary research project, one is obliged to face the uncertainty of how the research will be received in various systems. The whole of the research will remain unseen for each individual system. Despite these challenges, interdisciplinary research may act as a catalyst for broader development and change that reaches several systems simultaneously.
