Negotiating Identities Across Cultural Boundaries: Complicating Cultural Competence With Power and Privilege.

Abstract

The history and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Islander people in Australia has been characterised by colonisation and oppression. Academia, and psychology has played a role in the colonisation and oppression of Indigenous people through processes of othering and objectification. In the paper I explore the challenges associated with the process of situating myself, as a black South African man, alongside Indigenous people and developing an empowering praxis. Becoming engaged in true collaborative activity is not an easy task because the process of negotiation requires explicating and resolving issues of identity and power within a context of intergroup relations. I explore the dynamics of negotiation and the tensions that develop because of hidden assumptions and social identities. I conclude drawing theoretical lessons emphasising the importance of recognising our own group memberships and the implications of those for partnerships in the context of race relations.