Taking the Research Journey Together: The Insider and Outsider Experiences of Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Researchers

Authors

  • Angela Dew University of New South Wales Sydney http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8800-5660
  • Elizabeth McEntyre University of New South Wales Sydney
  • Priya Vaughan University of New South Wales Sydney

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-20.1.3156

Keywords:

Aboriginal, Indigenous research methodology, insider and outsider status, reflexivity, arts-based, community mapping, cultural and professional integrity

Abstract

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia are among the most researched in the world. Indigenous research methodologies reframe a historical colonial-centric and often exploitative research paradigm, to instead privilege the voices and perspectives of Indigenous peoples within a social justice framework. In this article, we describe the lessons learnt in a research partnership between an Aboriginal and two Anglo-Australian researchers conducting an arts-based action research project in collaboration with five Aboriginal communities in New South Wales, Australia. We identify the importance of reflexivity to shed light on the impact of insider and outsider status in order to design and conduct culturally and ethically informed research with Aboriginal communities. Reflexivity, and a collaborative, adaptive approach to research processes also operates to ensure cultural and professional integrity are embedded into such research projects.

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Author Biographies

Angela Dew, University of New South Wales Sydney

Angela DEW, PhD, is a senior research fellow at the Intellectual Disability Behaviour Support (IDBS) program at University of New South Wales Sydney where she is engaged in research related to people with cognitive disability and complex support needs. Angela is a sociologist with 36 years' experience in the Australian disability sector. Her research relates to understanding the specific issues faced by people with cognitive disability and a range of complexities including living in rural and remote locations and coming from an Aboriginal background. Angela uses qualitative and arts-based methods within an integrated knowledge translation framework to ensure her research results in practical solutions that can be tailored to individuals and local communities.

Elizabeth McEntyre, University of New South Wales Sydney

Elizabeth MCENTYRE is a Worimi and Wonnarua woman through bloodlines and her country spans Port Stephens, Great Lakes and the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Elizabeth is an accredited mental health social worker, with particular expertise working with Indigenous people with mental and cognitive disability in criminal justice systems. Elizabeth's PhD focussed on the lived realities of Australian Indigenous women with mental and cognitive disability in these settings. In addition to working for the Intellectual Disability Behaviour Support Program at University of New South Wales Sydney, Elizabeth advises a number of professional associations and committees and serves on the Boards of two Aboriginal organisations. She is a recipient of The Rowan Nicks Russell Drysdale Fellowship in Indigenous Health and Welfare from The University of Sydney.

Priya Vaughan, University of New South Wales Sydney

Priya VAUGHAN is a research assistant for the Intellectual Disability Behaviour Support Program at University of New South Wales Sydney. She has just completed her PhD with the Research School of Humanities and the Arts at the Australian National University. Her PhD research focussed on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists working across New South Wales, Australia. Priya teaches art history and theory at the National Art School and the University of Sydney.

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Published

2019-01-27

How to Cite

Dew, A., McEntyre, E., & Vaughan, P. (2019). Taking the Research Journey Together: The Insider and Outsider Experiences of Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Researchers. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-20.1.3156

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 1 (2019)

Section

Single Contributions

License

Copyright (c) 2019 Angela Dew, Elizabeth McEntyre, Priya Vaughan

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.