98252_proudfoot_f1.pdf (128.21 kB)
Understanding Cultural Differences at the Frontline
Mainstream housing service providers are increasingly involved in the provision of housing services to Indigenous clients but there has been little investigation of how housing staff experience and manage the intercultural dimensions of this. This issue is important because of the considerable discretionary power that tenancy managers and frontline staff, exercise in their role. This paper develops a theoretical model for exploring how housing practitioners construct and understand cultural differences and/or similarities and the role this plays in shaping their professional interactions with Indigenous tenants. Thirty-one semi-structured in depth interviews were conducted in metropolitan and regional Queensland with housing practitioners working with Indigenous clients, in state, community and Indigenous-specific social housing services. Early findings suggest practitioners’ understandings can be located along a continuum of Racialised Dichotomy, Homogeneity and Recognition. This combines with their experiential knowing of Indigenous people and their cultural practices, and may help to explain how practitioners utilise their discretionary power at the interface of service provision.
History
Publication title
Challenging Identities, Institutions and Communities: Refereed Proceedings of the TASA 2014Editors
West, BPagination
1-13ISBN
9780646927350Department/School
School of Social SciencesPublisher
The Australian Sociological Association (TASA)Place of publication
Adelaide, AustraliaEvent title
2014 Conference of The Australian Sociological Association: Challenging Identities, Institutions and Communities.Event Venue
AdelaideDate of Event (Start Date)
2014-11-24Date of Event (End Date)
2014-11-27Rights statement
Copyright 2008 the authorRepository Status
- Open