Comparative Literature in Iran: The Challenge of Interdisciplinarity

Perhaps it is not surprising that the rise and development of interdisciplinary studies often coincide with the historical periods when complicated social problems influencing different aspects of the lives of people arise. At such points, researchers have come to realize that complicated problems cannot be solved within the restricted walls of disciplinary divisions. One of the earliest academic experiences with interdisciplinary studies, Klein notes, can be traced back to 1920s when the Social Science Research Committee at the University of Chicago encouraged scholars to address social problems from an interdisciplinary perspective (1990: 24). In the 1960s and 1970s Universities such as Stanford, Harvard, and MIT became hotspots for interdisciplinary research. The social and political unrest during 60s and 70s also paved the way for radical educational reforms which explains for the rise of interdisciplinarity during that period (35). Literary studies were influenced by the interdisciplinary shift and it became clear to scholars that understanding literature without considering other artistic expressions surrounding it, or without observing the cultural womb out of which it has emerged can hardly answer comprehensive questions about human experiences in a complicated world.