A labour of love: Cross-cultural research collaboration between Australia and Indonesia

Russell Warman; Phillipa Watson; Chia-Chin (Amy) Lin; Pam Allen; Harriot Beazley; Ahmad Junaidi; Jamee Newland; Rebecca Harris

doi:10.1002/geo2.132

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A labour of love: Cross-cultural research collaboration between Australia and Indonesia

Journal article

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A labour of love: Cross-cultural research collaboration between Australia and Indonesia

Russell Warman, Phillipa Watson, Chia-Chin (Amy) Lin, Pam Allen, Harriot Beazley, Ahmad Junaidi, Jamee Newland and Rebecca Harris

Geo, Vol.11(1), pp.1-15

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/geo2.132

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Abstract

Australia

climate change adaptation

cross-cultural

Indonesia

research collaboration

Novel combinations of global conditions, issues under investigation and research alliances require constant reassessment of how to conduct cross-cultural research. Here we recount an exploratory investigation considering cross-cultural research between Australian and Indonesian researchers. This paper sets out a range of considerations for practitioners of cross-cultural research between our two countries. This investigation supports intentions to develop trans-disciplinary climate change adaptation research but is applicable across multiple research topics and disciplines. We engaged a small multi-disciplinary mix of researchers, from both countries, conducted two initial focus groups, and subsequently involved participants in drafting of this paper as an exploration of how being cross cultural could manifest. We highlight that cross-cultural collaborations occur in environments of both cultural differences and power differences. Four main strategies emerged for dealing with the challenges (or opportunities): working respectfully, being reflective of cross-cultural research practice, being flexible, and learning about culture. Overarching these strategies, we found cross-cultural research requires considerable extra (long term) effort to tackle and that this is sustained by researchers' intrinsic motives to care for people and place, making this type of research a distinctive labour of love. Finally, we found similarities between cross-cultural research and climate change adaptation research (even when conducted within one country) where both endeavours call for boundaries of places, cultures and disciplines to be crossed in order to effectively engage with complex topics and environments. Negotiating the liminalities here often defies set formulas and requires a willingness to engage with and ‘muddle through’ the messiness. Our findings will be of value to those undertaking cross-cultural research across a wide range of issues.

Details

Title: A labour of love: Cross-cultural research collaboration between Australia and Indonesia
Authors: Russell Warman (Corresponding Author) - University of Tasmania
Phillipa Watson (Author) - University of Tasmania
Chia-Chin (Amy) Lin (Author) - University of Tasmania
Pam Allen (Author) - University of Tasmania
Harriot Beazley (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Ahmad Junaidi (Author) - University of Mataram
Jamee Newland (Author) - UNSW Sydney
Rebecca Harris (Author) - University of Tasmania
Publication details: Geo, Vol.11(1), pp.1-15
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Date published: 2024
DOI: 10.1002/geo2.132
ISSN: 2054-4049
Copyright note: © 2024 The Authors. Geo: Geography and Environment published by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Grant note: This work was supported by the Australian Government's Department of Education through an SEA travel grant.
Organisation Unit: Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99991898902621
Output Type: Journal article