Week 5

In order to function in an interdisciplinary fashion, it is necessary to have some knowledge and skills related to specific disciplines. My degree is in Organizational Studies which involves several different disciplines instead of only two concentration areas. I have found that each area of my major has provided information that is necessary to effectively function within AIPER.

The first two concepts that I have utilized during my involvement with AIPER come from the discipline of political science. Political science is a fundamental aspect of AIPER since it is a social justice and peace organization. Other than the one course that I took at ASU, I really have little other experience with political science other than what is found in the mainstream media. In the past few weeks, I have learned some interesting facts about politics in the United States and about the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. We are planning upcoming events about other regions of the world as well as the problems that arise elsewhere. Through my involvement with AIPER, I have witnessed liberalism first-hand, which is the theory regarding “the impact ideas have on behavior, the equality, dignity, and liberty of the individual, and the need to protect people from excessive state regulation” and “it defines politics at the international level more as a struggle for consensus than a struggle for power and prestige.” (Kegley 2007) AIPER’s purpose is to find peaceful ways in which to address problems facing people and to better lives, especially of those who are a seemly oppressive situation. By educating individuals as to the plight of others and about problems at the local, national and international level, AIPER hopes to involve people in finding solutions that work for everyone. Progress starts at the level of the individual. This semester, AIPER will be addressing illegal immigration, sustainability of the environment, local and national politics, human right violations in Darfur, reconciliations in Rwanda, fair-trade coffee, consumerism and issues related to the war in Iraq.

Another aspect that political science touch on that is relevant to AIPER’s activities includes those related to human rights. This is especially true in regard to immigrants to the United States, both legal and illegal. AIPER is actively involved in issues related to immigration, including the situation of illegal immigrants. Something that I had not considered before, but which someone has pointed out to me is that many people feel that they have no choice but to leave their native countries if they want to survive. This same idea was presented in my political science course. Kegley (2007) mentions that “as a general rule, individuals and communities do not abandon their homes unless they are confronted with serious threats to their lives and liberty.” While Kegley’s statement is specifically oriented towards refugees, I suppose that the same idea can be applied to many people coming from poor areas in Mexico. AIPER does not agree with illegal immigration, but it does seek to prevent deaths that may result from such efforts as well as finding a peaceful solution to the problem.

The second discipline from which I have pulled valuable concepts for use involves technical communication skills. During this past week, I have utilized skills acquired in a course on technical communication in two different ways. First, I had to develop a flyer to dispute for an upcoming public viewing of a film that focuses on the impact of oil drilling in the Artic. In order to make an effective document, I had to consider the audience that is anticipated to be attendance as well as the actual format that the document required. The flyer had to fit into a pre-printed program for the organization that is co-sponsoring the even and also be practical for distribution a booksellers or other businesses. I was able to design a flyer that met this requirement while looking interesting and well executed, despite my restriction on using plain paper and only black ink. I got good feedback from the other organizers. In addition, I had to access AIPER’s website for the first time to post the information to the event board. There was little room for creativity on the online event board, but I worked with what I had. In the next few days, I will learn how to utilize the website to send out event notices to members on the list that I have been updating.

The third discipline that I have found especially necessary is that of small group communication. AIPER revolves around a core set of members, some of which are on the board of directors, so small group communication has proven to be a necessary discipline. Several theories exist to explain how small group communication functions, but based on my observations, a functional theory seems most appropriate. Functional theory references three principles developed by Denis Gouran and Randy Hirokawa. (Beebe 2006) The theory argues the following: “group members attempt to satisfy task requirement…; group members use communication to overcome constraints…; and group members take the time to review the process through which they arrived at choices, and if necessary, reconsider their choice.” (Beebe 2006) AIPER operates by determining a commonly-desired goal, working through options and problems through ongoing communication with each other, and then reviewing those choices and program outcomes to determine if the effort was successful or not. For example, an upcoming event was proposed which was discussed by the board members. Based on the organization’s prior experience with a similar event, it was determined that this would be an effective program likely to bring in many people. The information and skills that I acquired in the small group communication course has been extremely helpful in many ways. This includes active listening, interpreting non-verbal communication elements and how strangers can come together to work for a common goal using effective communication skills.

By utilizing these concepts, as well as skills and information from other specific fields, in an interdisciplinary manner, I feel that I have been able to do more for AIPER than if I only utilized skills from one perspective. I have been better prepared to consider different ways in which to view a topic or how people may react to information by being interdisciplinary. It will be interesting to see how else I can utilize an interdisciplinary perspective in the next few weeks.


References

Kegley, Jr., C. (2007). World Politics. 11th Ed. Belmont: Thomsom Wadsworth.

Beebe, S. and Masterson, J. (2006). Communicating in Small Groups. 8th Ed. Boston: Pearson.

Markel, M. (2007). Technical Communications. 8th Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.