Introduction

Interdisciplinarity is an intricate question, involving at the same time scientific concern and societal rules. On one hand, it has to do with structures of scientific knowledge and with the multiple aspects of cumulative learning. But interdisciplinarity also faces the ranking of universities and research centres, assessment of results, pertinence of academic specializations and norms … And if we consider the whole set of scientific disciplines, today we get a very wide range, from exact sciences to social sciences. Even if restricted to social sciences, the scope is still rather wide. Because of the inherent complexity of society itself, it is always a challenge to give a place across academic disciplines to the relationships between various factors and explanations. So the issue with interdisciplinarity in social sciences is to go beyond reductionism and to cope with interactions between elements or dynamics. And at the same time to face new transversal questions emerging and challenging the classical disciplines and division of knowledge: as for example in the near past, in biochemistry or biomedical science in technical sciences, and in environment, urban affairs or international development in social sciences.

In institutional academic terms, interdisciplinarity is a rather new issue. The first introduction of interdisciplinary university learning programmes in the US, for example, was quickly accompanied by new academic organizations.