Research in Interdisciplinary Studies
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Purdue is organized under the following eight fields of specialization:
Gender & Sexuality
Faculty who work in this area address issues of gender and sexuality, looking at the ways ideas about gender and sexuality shape social roles and identities. This is often done through an intersectional lens which takes into account the interlocking aspects of race, class, ethnicity, and disability on the function and experience of gender and sexuality.
Faculty
TJ BoisseauMarlo David
Jennifer Freeman Marshall
Dawn Marsh
Sally Hastings
Cheryl Cooky
Maren Linett
Ashley Purpura
Lingustics, Literature & Culture
Faculty in this area study language and related cultural productions. Linguists analyze language and the role of language in societies, while literary scholars focus on literature and its cultural contexts.
Faculty
Olga DmitrievaShaun Hughes
Victor Raskin
Beate Allert
Ronnie Wilbur
Bill Mullen
Maren Linett
Marlo David
Jennifer Freeman Marshall
Film, New Media & Popular Culture
Faculty in this area examine culture with a particular emphasis on film, new media, music, television, sports, and celebrity culture. These scholars are particularly interested in how the expressions of popular culture convey, challenge, and influence society.
Faculty
Cheryl CookyMarlo David
TJ Boisseau
Charlie Ross
Race & Ethnicity
Faculty approach the study of race and ethnicity from interdisciplinary perspectives. Some scholars focus on a particular race or ethnicity, while others are interested in comparative ethnic studies. These scholars address structural forms of oppression as well as intersections of race and ethnicity with other aspects of identity.
Faculty
Marlo DavidJennifer Freeman Marshall
Dawn Marsh
Song No
Ronald Stephens
Bill Mullen
Monica M. Trieu
TJ Boisseau
Religion
Faculty members in Religion study Christianity (Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox), Judaism, and Islam from a variety of scholarly perspectives. Faculty approach the subject from theological, philosophical, historical, social scientific, and cultural anthropological perspectives. Courses embed the institutional histories of monotheistic religions in broader human concerns, and offer introductions to the comparative study of diverse traditions.
Faculty
Dan FrankAshley Purpura
Science, Technology & Society
Faculty in this area are concerned with the technical and social dimensions of scientific research and technological innovation. Thus they are interested in the benefits and risks associated with advances in science and technology.
Faculty
Shannon McMullenSocial Justice
Faculty who work in this area explore such questions as: What is social justice? What produces injustice? How are or might people combat injustice? Thus scholars in this area address such topics as inequities related to race, gender, class, sexuality, and disability; grassroots activism and social movements; gentrification; public policy; urban studies; environmental justice; and globalization.
Faculty
Harry TargCheryl Cooky
Marlo David
Bill Mullen
Maren Linett
Ronald Stephens
Ronnie Wilbur
Transnationalism
Faculty in this area conduct research which extends beyond national boundaries and interests. Scholars in this area address such topics as globalization, diasporas, migration, and immigration.
Faculty
Tithi BhattacharyaSally Hastings
Bill Mullen
Monica M. Trieu