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PROFESSIONAL BLOG (I-ASPIRE)

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About Professional Practice

As an anthropologist, who follows the Australian Anthropological Society’s professional guidelines, and conducts research at the sensitive intersection between religion and migration, it is imperative I maintain a high level of cultural and religious competency. This requires an approach that is empathetic, reflexive and collaborative. Anthropological professional practice prioritises accurately speaking to the lived realities of our interlocutors. Thus, my research focus is a means to highlight the, often very challenging, experiences of migrants through the lens of their religious practices as a way to address societal and structural discrimination. Through my professional approach, I am committed to voicing these kinds of migration experiences and challenging everyday inequalities.

About Interprofessionalism

Interprofessionalism is highly relevant in anthropological research. Certainly, collaborative ethnography is dependent on strong relationships with interlocutors (as experts in own lives) and community stakeholders as well as with multidisciplinary and sector partners. Inter-professionalism is foundational to how I engage the research process. This is because such cooperations are fruitful for my holistic understanding and representation of the life worlds of those with whom I am doing research. Such interprofessional collaborations in anthropology provide a variety of rich data, situated knowledge and skills, as well as fostering relationships with trusted gatekeepers – crucial to disseminating robust research with an aim to affect social and structural change.

About Ethical Practice

Ethical practice is a primary concern of contemporary anthropology and is at the forefront of my professional practice. I align my conduct with that of the Australian Anthropological Society’s code of ethics, which aims to provide the best standards of ethical practice and human rights. Sensitive to the situated nature of my professional practice, I advocate a proactive stance that focuses on taking seriously my responsibilities to my interlocutors to minimise intrusion and harm in their lives. Given anthropologists deal with the lived experiences of often vulnerable people it is imperative that our interlocutors are treated as equal subjects, and that the far reaching consequences of research outcomes are considered.

Anthropology Graduate Skill Set and Knowledge

1. Generic Skills

I have a range of valuable transferrable skills. Namely, I have acquired the skills to lead research projects, manage time and financial resources, meet difficult deadlines and problem solve. I have excellent interpersonal skills that allow me to adapt to diverse and challenging socio-cultural contexts. I have strong analytical skills that mean I can analyse large volumes of qualitative data. I am also able to communicate research findings in different written and oral registers at both community and academic level to a high standard – that is, via the likes of community focused research reports, academic journal articles and conference presentations.

2. Specialised Skills

As an anthropologist I am skilled at “doing” and “writing” ethnography, that is the in-depth and long term study of communities or facets of a certain community. I am particularly skilled at keeping detailed ethnographic field notes and collecting data via participant observation – the systematic observation and actively participation in the social experience being studied. I am also adept at negotiating being both an engaged “insider” as well as a researcher/Other “outsider” to maintain both my ethical conduct and the integrity of my research. My anthropological insight offers innovative, culturally informed and sensitive contributions to addressing urban social and structural issues.

3. Community funding application development

My holistic approach to understanding community centred issues as well as my capacity to productively engage with stakeholders, positions me well to perform nuanced community needs analyses. In my recent pilot project, focused on the uptake of community services by the women of Greater Western Sydney, via qualitative data collection, I identified barriers hindering some women’s access to services. My findings are the foundation for a larger project, in identified areas of high socio-economic vulnerability, that aims to implement some of the “bottom-up” adjustments to selected community organisations’ service delivery. Furthermore, I established that the councils in these local government areas would be appropriate to approach for funding, given the project’s aims aligns with that of the council – responding to the needs of local community and growing partnerships between community stakeholders. I have negotiated the budget, deadlines and deliverables with each selected local council to ensure that it is realistic and mutually agreeable to all parties.

4. Applied debating: Developing position papers

An applied debate is an avenue of advocacy that proffers an argument rooted in evidence-based support. Its purpose is to agitate for socio-political and economic change across local, national and global levels. As an anthropologist I am often called to engage in this kind of advocacy work, whereby I utilise position papers to generate support for community focused issues. These position papers are founded in my ability to collect, research and synthesis appropriate data from a variety of interlocutors and reputable scholarly sources, and present this in a manner that both defends the position and provides informed recommendations for societal and legislative change.

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