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Introduction to the Special Edition: Child Development and Gerontology Collaborations

This special issue provides a unique moment to stop the historical flow toward scholarly fragmentation. Over the past century, intellectuals have sought knowledge in increasingly narrow segments. As we enter the twenty-first century, fields of study have become so highly specialized, researchers within a given academic discipline often cannot communicate with their colleagues down the hall. This approach to scholarship is in stark contrast to earlier periods of scientific gains. During the Renaissance, science, philosophy, and art were all practiced by the same individuals and funded by the same royal or religious purse strings. At the end of the twentieth century, immense university course catalogues provide a wide array of course offerings, but virtually no opportunity to integrate the various experiences they provide. The increasing fragmentation of scientific and social scientific work has resulted in some odd divisions in fields of inquiry. Of particular note is the distinction that is made between the fields of child development focusing on the start of the lifespan INT’L. J. AGING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, Vol. 51(1) 1–4, 2000