Getting it together: Feminist interdisciplinary research on women and engineering

SynopsisMultidisciplinary research is promoted by feminists and university administrators alike as a means for solving increasingly complex world problems. What is less recognised is that multidisciplinary research comprises, by its very nature, a complex mix of political and epistemological issues. The political question demands that researchers negotiate both the collaborative research relationship and the nature of academic work in a neo-liberal climate. The epistemological challenges involve melding diverse world views and ways of knowing while retaining the integrity of each researcher's discipline. These processes inevitably take time. Since 2001 the authors have collaborated in research projects related to women in engineering in both the professional workplace and education contexts. The team comprises feminist scholars in economics, sociology, education and civil engineering. This paper unpacks four interrelated themes of feminist commitment, uneven paradigmatic engagement, negotiated knowledge and material conditions that we argue are integral to successful multidisciplinary research.