Topics and Disciplines

UCOLL 300 - Unit III - Academic Focus

All academic disciplines fall within these three academic branches of learning. Since many DDP students study the Social Sciences, we'll use an example from that academic branch to illustrate how this works. 

The topic of violent gangs seems straight forward if we talk about them in everyday conversation. If you were talking to a friend about violent gangs, you might comment on a story you saw in a newspaper or on a web site. 

But how would one of your psychology professors talk about violent gangs? your anthropology professor? a sociologiogist? All of these individuals would add a unique perspective to the discussion depending on their disciplinary background. Because they are all rooted in the Social Sciences, there might be some overlap or multidisciplinary approach that would interest both the psychology and anthropology professor, for example. 

Let’s look at some examples of how the different academic disciplines may consider violent gangs: