Out of his field

Christian Century, Dec 4, 2002

In 1960 political science had only five subdisciplines; by 2000 the number had grown to 104. In an era of hyperspecialization, a typical academic putdown is to suggest that someone is speaking outside his or her area of expertise. One respected sociologist struck back when accused of straying from the narrow confines of his discipline: "I'm not a donkey, and I don't have a field" (Notre Dame Magazine, Summer).