Immersion in Discomfort: At the Intersection of Worldviews Toward Co‐Governing With Integrity

Randa Sacedon, Tillmann Boehme, Freya Croft, Jodi Edwards, Anna Farmery, Eleanor McNeill, Makrita Solitei and Michelle Voyer
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Randa Sacedon: Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, Australia
Tillmann Boehme: Faculty of Business and Law, School of Business, University of Wollongong, Australia
Freya Croft: Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, Australia
Jodi Edwards: Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, Australia
Anna Farmery: Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, Australia
Eleanor McNeill: Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, Australia
Makrita Solitei: Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, Australia
Michelle Voyer: Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, Australia

Ocean and Society, 2025, vol. 2

Abstract: In the drive to embrace more inclusive, equitable, and respectful approaches to research, academics are increasingly encouraged to engage with diverse and alternate knowledges, including with First Nations and Indigenous Communities. Yet for those working at the intersection of different worldviews—known as the “cultural interface”—the experience can be accompanied by feelings of discomfort. We recognise discomfort as a personal, inner emotion of vulnerability that alerts us to unspoken, difficult conversations; to challenged beliefs and assumptions; and to the limits of our own knowledge. As a group of academics working at the cultural interface, we identify common themes across our collective experiences of discomfort, including fragility and guilt, helplessness, fear, ignorance, shame, challenged conceptions of time, and finally connection and relationality. By openly discussing and confronting our experiences of discomfort, we demonstrate that immersion in discomfort is a journey that provides opportunities for learning, understanding, and fostering co‐governing partnerships with integrity.

Keywords: co‐governance; cultural interface; discomfort; First Nations; Indigenous; integrity; knowledge; ocean governance; partnerships; worldview (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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