[Air-l] What is a discipline.

[Charlie Hendricksen]

Friends,

    I believe that a discipline is the institutionalization of a
scientific specialty.  

    So how does a new specialty emerge?  Niinilouto writes* of six
models of emergence of specialties.  The one that most closely fits
"Internet Studies" is the emergence of new subject matter.

   "While the natural sciences investigate reality that in
principle      exists independently of  human beings, the cultural
sciences -- in     the broad sense that ranges from mathematics to the
humanities and     the social sciences -- study man-made
constructions.  Therefore it     is customary that a new cultural
science is born as a consequence      of the invention or construction
of a new cultural object or           institution.  This model
emphasizes that a specialty may have an       <i>emerging subject
matter</i> -- and thus it differs from           branching, where new
information and techniques are imported to        already existing
domains.

   Typical examples of new sciences of this kind are set theory,   
computer science, film theory, and co-operation studies."  



* Niiniluoto, Ilkka. 1995. The emergence of Scientific Specialties:
Six models. "Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the
Humanities." vol 44. pp 211-223.
-- 
            Charlie Hendricksen, Ph.D.   veritas at u.washington.edu

            "Information technology structures human relationships."
                            "Models relate concepts."