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

Abstract

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.