Interdisciplinary Research & Inquiry 

      To me, interdisciplinary research and inquiry refers to academic pursuits that involves two or more fields of knowledge and kinds of inquiry. Through different lens such as sociology, psychology, cultural study, legal study, arts, etc., the term interdisciplinary brings researchers together from a whole wide range of disciplines that meant to make the research work more socially engaged and impactful. During my academic journey at UW Bothell, I was given many valuable opportunities to work both individually and collaboratively on a variety of assignments that has tested my ability in interdisciplinary research and inquiry including research analysis, application, interpretation and other skills. By stepping out of my comfort zone and completing these assignments, it helped me understood more to be successful on IAS journey means to be not only consumers but also as producers of interdisciplinary knowledge. As a Community Psychology major student, I was expected to develop my interdisciplinary research and inquiry abilities by integrating knowledge across disciplines and contexts in ways that respect different approaches to understanding human development and well-being. Out of all academic accomplishments I have completed during my academic journey at UW Bothell, there are three artifacts that I believe are perfect representations of my interdisciplinary research and inquiry in academics.

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       The first artifact was the final Research Cluster Paper from my BIS313 Issues in Media Study class instructed by Professor Ron Krabill in Autumn 2021, in which me and my group members were tasked to explore a specific human rights issue (Death Penalty) and the public contestation around it in more detail, and devise at least one possible intervention, then facilitate the knowledge we have gained on the topic to the rest of class through group presentation at the end of the quarter. I have used this artifact to support the section of Collaboration and Shared Leadership, however, I also believe that it perfectly illustrates my abilities in interdisciplinary research and inquiry. Our group chose the death penalty in the U.S. as we believed that it was not only a human rights issue, but also an excellent example of a conflicting discourse that arises from a wide range of disciplines such as sociology, psychology, bioethics, legal study. This led to our collective effort in researching the history of the issue and the complexities around it while also providing examples of the racial issues that also play into the death penalty debate in the United States of America. As a group we considered many methods that human rights groups can take to focus on this issue. We believe that the work that Amnesty International has done in the field is crucial by providing research that is backed by such a vast organization. However, we believe that more hands-on approach is required to change the discourse around the death penalty in the United States.

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       The second artifact was the Final Paper(Stigma in Mental Health) from my BIS270 Abnormal Psychology class instructed by Professor William E. Hartmann, in which I was given the opportunity to critically discuss, analyze, and interpret the stigmatization of mental disorders, and how has it become an obstacle to a healthy society. I have used this artifact to support the section of Critical and Creative Thinking, however, I also believe that its suitable to demonstrate my abilities in interdisciplinary research and inquiry since this topic involves not only the field of psychology, but also other disciplines such as history, biology, sociology, and legal study, etc. Based on the research, we can conclude that the stigma behind mental illness was created before we had any scientific understanding based on the modern biological perspectives. Through this topic, I have gained deeper insights into how we might unconsciously create a sick society in which everyone is in danger if we fail to recognize the power of stigma towards the mental health field. This artifact is an example of my critical thinking abilities in interdisciplinary research and inquiry based on the dynamics of normal and abnormal. What a cruel social mechanism can be when the evil is not owned by a particularly bad guy but is generally practiced by ordinary people. When people assume themselves normal and righteous, it is precisely the most terrifying crime that can be committed. 

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        The third artifact was the Lesson Plan Paper from the BIS225 Social Psychology class which was instructed by Professor Janelle M. Silva in Spring 2021. I chose this project to show my abilities in interdisciplinary research and inquiry because it involves multi-disciplines including but not limited to education, social psychology, cultural study. In this project I was tasked to examine how social psychology has intertwined with our daily lives. To do so, I was randomly assigned a grade level (mine was grade two age 7 to 8) in K-12 education system and developed a lesson plan proposal for teaching the concepts in social psychology (bully and obedience) that I believe are essential for children to become familiar with. Many of such concepts are often seen as not “appropriate for children”, however, I have explained why these concepts should be taught and how to explain this to adults (parents) in this project. Being aware of the dynamics of power can be beneficial for young generation to be empowered and motivated toward socially just changes.