Is the entrenched division between the natural and human sciences unbridgeable? Is this divide crippling innovation in science, or is it necessary to keep science pure?
Between 2006–14, an experiment was conducted in Integrated Science Education (ISE) in several science institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune.
Breaking the Silo compiles the experiments in pedagogy conducted by people from physics, biology, computer science, sociology, medicine, science studies, philosophy, history, literary studies, film studies, cultural studies, theatre, and visual arts.
This experiment seeks to throw new light on the 'two cultures' theory that has beset India's science institutions. By combining the sciences and humanities, innovative solutions can be found for the complex social problems facing us today.
Anup Dhar is Professor, School of Human Studies, and Director, Centre for Development Practice, Ambedkar University, New Delhi.
Tejaswini Niranjana is Professor and Head, Department of Cultural Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong. Additionally, she is Visiting Professor with the School of Arts and Science at Ahmedabad University.
K. Sridhar is Professor of Theoretical Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
Culture and Democracy at the Millenial Turn List of Abbreviations
Introduction Anup Dhar, Tejaswini Niranjana and K. Sridhar
Section One – What it was all about
1. Different Meanings, Different Programmes: ‘Science and Society’ in Indian Higher Education
Dhruv Raina, Purabi Pattanayak, Vungliankim Valte
2. The Integrated Science Education Experiment: Centre for Contemporary Studies (CCS)-Indian Institute of Science and Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS), 2006-14
A Conversation between Raghavendra Gadagkar and Tejaswini Niranjana
3. Integration and Interdisciplinarity: Some Thoughts on an Experiment
Asha Achuthan
Section Two – Beyond the Metropolis
4. The Method of Science and its Discontents
K. Sridhar
5. Cognition: Beyond the Mind-Body Divide
Anup Dhar and Tejaswini Niranjana
6. Science, sociology of science, and society: Is there a relationship?
Gita Chadha
7. History of Science and Technology in Integrated Science Education
Jahnavi Phalkey
8. Evolution: Dialoguing between Disciplines - 1
Maithreyi Mulupuru
9. Evolution: Dialoguing between Disciplines - 2
Anindita Bhadra
10. Health, New Technologies, and Bio-ethics
Section Three – Ways of Knowing, Seeing, Doing
11. Ways of Knowing: Ethnographic Methods
12. Ways of Knowing: Textual Analysis
Sneha PP
13. Ways of Knowing: Historical Methods
Nitya Vasudevan
14. Ways of Knowing: Psychological Methods
Sabah Siddiqui
15. Ways of Seeing: Cinema
Ashish Rajadhyaksha
16. Ways of Seeing: Cinema and Theatre
Interview with Prakash Belawadi
17. Doing Humanities with Science Students: Reflections on ‘Ways of Seeing’ at IISc
S. V. Srinivas
18. Ways of Doing: People, Nature, and Sustainable Development
Rajan Gurukkal
19. Ways of Doing: The Mind and the Brain
Notes on the Contributors Index