Virginia B. Vincenti

Exploration of the Relationship between International Experiences and the Interdisciplinary Work of University Faculty

This article reviews the published literature to obtain a better understanding about how international and, more generally, intercultural experiences might facilitate the development of interdisciplinary faculty work in higher education. More specifically, it examines characteristics of interdisciplinary individuals, benefits of international/intercultural experiences to travelers, the qualities needed for intercultural effectiveness, university disciplines as cultures, and how the relationship between international/intercultural experience is similar to interdisciplinary experience and competence. Finally, it addresses questions for future research.

Home Economics in Higher Education: Communities of Convenience or Purpose?

This article focuses on home economics higher education curricula and argues that an integrative, interdisciplinary curriculum organized around a set of practi cal, perennial problems would strengthen the effectiveness of the field. It begins with a contextual discussion of interdisciplinarity as a phenomenon in higher education. It then provides a rationale for developing integrative, interdisciplinary curricula for home economics in colleges and universities and offers an explana tion of the practical, perennial-problem framework for curriculum. It also exam ines the consequences to home economics of a lack of integration and offers ideas for facilitating integration using the communicative mode of inquiry.