Sixteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This paper focuses on the importance of integrating interdisciplinary approaches to training and education in the United States military. Because of the need for military troops to adapt in their ability to play a role in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, to mitigate and reduce conflict, and to lead in diverse human terrains, there is a need for officers to utilize non-kinetic methods for conflict resolution. For the education and training of midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy, for example, a new interdisciplinary major, the Area Studies Major, is an opportunity to prepare leaders who value diversity and create an ethical command climate, who are effective communicators in foreign languages, who are knowledgeable on regions of the world, who are adaptable by understanding and appreciating global and cross-cultural dynamics and who are critical and creative thinkers. In order to navigate new cultural landscapes, the ability to look beneath the surface and find meaning, that is, to uncover the often subconscious cultural narratives that people of diverse backgrounds live by. In this paper, I discuss the development of this new initiative by looking at midshipmen outcomes as well as problems in a multi-disciplinary focus.

Presenters

Clementine Fujimura
Professor and Program Coordinator, Humanities and Social Sciences Div/Languages and Cultures Dept, The United States Naval Academy, Maryland, United States