History of Science as Interdisciplinary Education in American Colleges: Its Origins, Advantages, and Pitfalls

Before 1950, history of science did not exist as an independent academic branch, but was instead pursued by practitioners across various humanities and scientific disciplines. After professionalization, traces of its prehistory as a cross-disciplinary area of interest bound to an interdisciplinary,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Paula Viterbo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Athabasca University Press 2007-01-01
Series:Journal of Research Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jrp.icaap.org/index.php/jrp/article/view/116/96
Description
Summary:Before 1950, history of science did not exist as an independent academic branch, but was instead pursued by practitioners across various humanities and scientific disciplines. After professionalization, traces of its prehistory as a cross-disciplinary area of interest bound to an interdisciplinary, educational philosophy have remained. This essay outlines the development of history of science as an interdisciplinary academic field, and argues that it constitutes an obvious choice for inclusion in an interdisciplinary academic program, provided faculty and administrators learn how best to manage its advantages and pitfalls.
ISSN:1712-851X