REFLECTIVE PERSPECTIVES: NEGOTIATIONS AT AND WITHIN THE BORDERS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCE A post-qualitative inquiry of cultural hybridity within third space enunciations Megan Ann Wood Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Research) Centre for Learning Innovation Faculty of Education Queensland University of Technology December, 2015 Keywords border crossing pedagogy, Indigenous, non-Indigenous, collaboration, difference, intercultural, negotiation, post-qualitative, third space, cultural hybridity i Acronyms NEAF: National Ethics Application Form ii Abstract This research has sought to explore the in-between space of intercultural collaboration between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples in Australia. The overarching aim of this research is to explore the negotiations of cultural difference through articulated moments of intercultural collaboration and interaction in an attempt to support a deeper understanding and awareness of the pedagogical practice of collaboration between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples in Australia. A post-qualitative inquiry has guided me in my engagement with two publicly available reflective outputs (as ‘data’ for analysis), multiple theories, literature, stories and personal experiences to dwell at the borders of cultural difference. I also acknowledge throughout this research project that ideology, imbued through discourse, has the power to enforce or challenge cultural and social domination. This in turn creates cultural hegemony, a process whereby a particular social and cultural group has the power to influence the thoughts, expectations and behaviours of the rest of society. As I consider the concept of negotiations in moments of intercultural collaboration and notions of reconciliatory projects and solidarity, it is important that I maintain critical awareness of ideological presence in discourse and its influential authority over people. The interstitial location of intercultural collaboration—the meeting place of different and legitimate knowledge systems—is the core focus of this research project. iii Table of Contents Keywords ................................................................................................................................................. i Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................ ii Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... iv Statement of Original Authorship .......................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ......................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction to the Statement of the Problem .............................................................................. 1 1.2 Background .................................................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Relatedness .................................................................................................................................. 7 1.4 The Reflective outputs (as ‘data’) .............................................................................................. 11 1.5 Significance, Scope and Definitions .......................................................................................... 13 1.6 Thesis Outline ............................................................................................................................ 17 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................... 19 2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................ 19 2.2 The Construction of Knowledge ................................................................................................ 20 2.2.1 Destruction of Misrepresentation ................................................................................... 21 2.2.2 Indigenous Epistemology and Ontology......................................................................... 23 2.3 Processes of collaboration ......................................................................................................... 25 2.3.1 Cultural Boundaries ........................................................................................................ 26 2.3.2 Finding a Way, Together ................................................................................................ 30 2.4 Post-qualitative Research: the Ontological Turn ....................................................................... 33 2.4.1 The Ontological Turn ..................................................................................................... 34 2.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................... 39 3.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................ 39 3.2 Critical Theory ........................................................................................................................... 39 3.2.1 Ideology and Cultural Hegemony ................................................................................... 40 3.2.2 Western Constructs of Critical Theory ........................................................................... 42 3.3 Critical Pedagogy ....................................................................................................................... 43 3.3.1 Pedagogy of Solidarity ................................................................................................... 45 3.4 Postcolonial Theory ................................................................................................................... 49 3.4.1 Postcolonial Discourses .................................................................................................. 49 3.5 Border Crossing: Making connections with the ‘Posts’ ............................................................. 56 3.6 Discourse to Share the Learning ................................................................................................ 59 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODS .......................................................................................... 62 4.1 Introduction to the Research Methods ....................................................................................... 62 4.2 Post-qualitative Inquiry .............................................................................................................. 64 4.2.1 The Ontological Turn toward Post-qualitative Inquiry ................................................... 64 4.2.2 Ontological and Epistemological: Third Space Enunciations of Cultural Hybridity ........................................................................................................................ 65 iv 4.2.3 (Re) deciding on (post) qualitative inquiry: A Move Away From Traditional Analysis and Binary Logic ............................................................................................. 67 4.2.4 Enunciations of Cultural Hybridity: Discourse of Difference ........................................ 73 4.3 Introducing the Reflective outputs ............................................................................................. 75 4.3.1 Reflective Output One .................................................................................................... 76 4.3.2 Reflective output Two .................................................................................................... 78 4.4 A Hybrid Reading and Hybridity as Analysis ............................................................................ 79 4.4.1 A Hybrid Reading the Reflective outputs ....................................................................... 79 4.4.2 Locating Enunciations: A Hybrid Reading of the Reflective outputs ............................. 81 4.4.3 Demonstration of Analysis ............................................................................................. 83 CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS OF THE REFLECTIVE OUTPUTS ................................................... 86 5.1 Introduction: Social Imagery—Personal ReFlections on Whiteness and Three Film Projects .. 86 5.1.1 Attempts at ‘Cracking the Code’: Negotiation at the Border…Whenever ..................... 87 5.1.2 Throwing off the Shackles: Within Cultural Borders, Out Bush .................................... 95 5.1.3 Relinquishing Power: Destabilising the Stable ............................................................. 101 5.2 Introduction: Social Imagery—Michael Hohnen and Gurrumul are Collaborators ................. 107 5.2.1 The Most Amazing Experience: Cultural Hybridity