Communication Sciences and Disorders
The field of Communication Sciences and Disorders focuses on the study of speech, language, hearing development, and their development. It is an academic discipline that segues into careers in speech-language pathology (SLP) and audiology. Focusing more on the SLP pathway, SLPs are professionals who evaluate, diagnose, and treat communication disorders with people across the lifespan and work in primary in educational and health care environments. Research in this field typically studies speech and voice, asking questions about articulation, voice, and fluency. They also study different “language domains” that affect language, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Researchers use both qualitative and quantitative methods, whether it be through interviews and observation or by using standardized assessments and clinical evaluations.
CSD is strongly connected to many cultures because communication can vary greatly across different cultures and communities. Understanding that culture has social and generative rules that are shaped by where people are from is also the key to understanding language. Cultural differences can influence how people communicate with each other and SLP must consider a person’s cultural background.
Digital Humanities
Digital Humanities is the intersection of technology and the humanities, and uses “digital tools and computational methods to analyze, preserve, and share human culture.” The field studies human culture, history, language, and other forms of human expression through digital methods. Researchers use data bases, digital archives, mapping, and other technologies that collect and analyze data. DH is closely connected to culture because most of the works focuses on preserving, understanding, and sharing cultural knowledge.
