Disciplinen vi delar - En innehållsanalys av magisteruppsatser vid Bibliotekshögskolan i Borås
Biblioteks- och informationsvetenskapBibliotekarieutbildningTvärvetenskapMångvetenskapVetenskapsteoriBourdieuMagisteruppsatserInnehållsanalys
This study is a statistical content analysis, of masters? theses written in 2005 at the Swedish School of Library and Information Studies in Borås. The relations between their epistemological discourses, theories, methods, themes and chosen alignment within the education, the so-called ?kollegium?/college, are examined. The results are put in relation to the concepts multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity to see what kind of discipline Library and Information Science (LIS) can be described as, on the basis of this material. As a theoretical framework, I have used theory of science and Bourdieu?s theories about social and academic fields. A selection of opinions and theories in research about LIS as a discipline are also recited and related to. LIS, in the implementation of the analyzed theses, appears to be mainly multidisciplinary even if also, in some respects, interdisciplinary. The analyzed texts show tendencies to specialize and form factions within the smaller subject areas of the discipline, which according to some earlier research applies to LIS generally. This may seem natural for a thesis and an alignment to do, but seen as a whole one can problematize whether such deployments are all consciously intended and/or fruitful. Signs of specialization and separation are visible within all of the analyzed variables. Hence the students, to some extent, can be said to choose direction in both epistemologies, theories, methods and themes, when they choose college. On the other hand, the boundaries do not seem insurmountable. There are factors that, at times, cross them or are held in common.