No Place for Whites? Psychology Students' Reactions to Article on Healing Members of the Stolen Generations in Australia

Abstract

This article discusses the emotional reactions of non‐Indigenous psychology undergraduate students to reading a section of an article that was interpreted as suggesting that non‐Indigenous psychologists have no role in Indigenous social emotional well‐being. The students went through an intense process of coming to terms with their reactions through self‐reflection and small group and whole of class discussions, at the end of which they felt reassured that there was a place for non‐Indigenous professionals working with Indigenous clients and communities. The authors suggest that the students were uncomfortable with feeling marginalised and excluded, an unfamiliar feeling for members of the dominant culture. The article discusses strategies that seemed to be successful in managing this discomfort.

Key words:

• Indigenous Australians
• psychology education
• Stolen Generations
• unearned privilege

The content in this article has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Both authors have contributed significantly, and are in agreement with the content of the manuscript. Approval for this study was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of South Australia. This research conforms to the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki.

The content in this article has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Both authors have contributed significantly, and are in agreement with the content of the manuscript. Approval for this study was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of South Australia. This research conforms to the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Notes

The content in this article has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Both authors have contributed significantly, and are in agreement with the content of the manuscript. Approval for this study was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of South Australia. This research conforms to the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki.