Critical Reflection (Short Essay): Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Critical Reflection (Short Essay)
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As part of interdisciplinary collaboration, the group members were in four different disciplines (education, linguistics, Japanese studies, and digital culture). Interdisciplinary collaboration and crossover between different disciplines made it easier to address the issue of climate justice across generations from different perspectives and approaches Interdisciplinary collaboration was an enriching experience as the students come from different disciplines. However, there was a need to address how to improve the group’s successes and achievements as there were challenges to arrange meetings where everyone was available and could contribute. The theme of self-reflection and cultural competence in the interdisciplinary process was useful to facilitate collaboration. Evidence shows that cultural competence is beneficial in interdisciplinary studies and has a positive impact on attitudes and skills and communication and interaction. Interdisciplinary collaboration is linked to cultural competence in dealing with young people’s issues in a changing climate and intra/intergenerational justice.
Cultural education is helpful to improve cultural competence, and through the interdisciplinary process, it becomes easier to evaluate how communication and culture influence interactions. In Australia, the dominant narratives in research, academia, and society tend to exclude the indigenous people and other minorities and oppressed groups (Russell, 2020). The researchers further highlighted the benefits of cultural competence in healthcare to promote culturally safe practices, and cultural competence training is helpful to improve cultural competence (Russell, 2020). In the interdisciplinary process, it became apparent that there was a need to clarify what to expect during the interaction, and power imbalances influence how decisions are made. The group members benefit from being actively involved in the process as they do not feel left behind, and they are more likely to focus on self-reflection
There ought to be a commitment to collaborate to facilitate teamwork, and the bigger the differences, the more likely there will be points of contention. Hooks (2013) highlighted that bonding across different classes, race and gender seem simple, but in reality, requires addressing issues that may cause conflict to facilitate collaboration. Interdisciplinary collaboration is also fostered by promoting self-reflection. This was essential as the group members made decisions knowing what influenced their views and considering the views of the other. Experiences working with people from different backgrounds expand one’s perspective and understanding of others, making it easier to work with others as there is more self-awareness (Hooks, 2013). Structured discussions in interdisciplinary collaboration helped support teamwork while considering the influence of differences in decision-making.
To better understand people from different cultural backgrounds, it is necessary to listen keenly and allow them to share their experiences. Waller (2018) focused on Dadirri, an indigenous Australian methodology based on deep, respectful listening and acceptance to facilita...