It was a real privilege to work with my colleagues Lisa Woodland, Ilse Blignault and Cathy O’Callaghan on this paper.
All research takes place within broader systems of gender and sociopolitical environments [29, 30]. We do not wish to minimize the importance of the social determinants of health in producing and reproducing health inequities [53]. On the contrary, we would argue that cultural differences need to be understood alongside gender, educational status and socioeconomic status [54]. This highlights the importance of a culturally competent research team and community partners in interpreting study results and considering their implications. We are also conscious of the need to recognize the protective aspects of culture. Culture should not be problematized by health services or health researchers. Culture provides shared meaning and identity, as well as enabling mechanisms for material support. Further, culture is not static but ever-changing, as is the multicultural profile of Australian society.
Woodland, L., Blignault, I., O’Callaghan, C., & Harris-Roxas, B. (2021). A framework for preferred practices in conducting culturally competent health research in a multicultural society. Health Research Policy and Systems, 19(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-020-00657-y
I hope it makes a useful contribution to the field, as well as providing a practical set of considerations for people who are planning to undertake research with culturally and linguistically groups.