Conference Agenda

Attachment theory, rooted in Western paradigms, has long been considered universal. However, its application within Aboriginal Australian contexts often misinterprets culturally normative behaviours, reinforcing systemic biases. This presentation critiques the universality assumption of attachment theory and introduces Indigenous perspectives on child-caregiver bonds. Privileging Aboriginal epistemologies and ideologies such as kinship systems, collective caregiving, and cultural comfort-seeking behaviours as foundational elements of attachment, revealing attachment as a culturally situated phenomenon rather than a fixed biological imperative. It will be argued that Western frameworks, which prioritise nuclear family structures and singular attachment figures, fail to capture the relational complexity inherent in Aboriginal caregiving systems. The misdiagnosis of attachment issues can lead to harmful interventions, including unnecessary child removals, demonstrating significant implications for practice. By reframing attachment through an Aboriginal lens, this research emphasised the need for culturally responsive assessment and intervention strategies, cultivating equity in attachment research and practice. This work contributes to global conversations on decolonising psychology and offers suggestions for embedding cultural integrity into attachment theory.

Attachment is often conceptualised through Western developmental models, overlooking holistic Indigenous frameworks of wellbeing. This presentation explores how the Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) framework informs attachment research and practice in the Aboriginal Australian context. SEWB emphasises interconnected domains such as family, kinship, community, culture, and spirituality, positioning attachment within relational and collective systems rather than dyadic bonds. Drawing on literature and community yarns, we examine how cultural determinants such as kinship obligations, shared caregiving, and cultural continuity shape expressions of attachment. Preliminary findings challenge deficit-based interpretations of Aboriginal parenting and highlight strengths-based approaches rooted in cultural resilience. The presentation will discuss implications for assessment, intervention, and policy, and advocate for integrating SEWB principles into attachment theory and practice. By aligning attachment research with Aboriginal wellbeing frameworks, this work promotes culturally responsive care and contributes to global efforts to broaden attachment paradigms beyond Western norms.

The processes of colonisation and child removal policies have left enduring legacies of trauma within Aboriginal communities, significantly impacting attachment security. This presentation examines the pathways through which intergenerational trauma disrupts child-caregiver bonds and presents an Aboriginal-led plan to address it. From an Aboriginal perspective, I will trace the ripple effects of systemic disenfranchisement, such as loss of land, culture, and family, on relational patterns, revealing how historical trauma intersects with contemporary stressors, increasing vulnerability to child protection interventions. However, Aboriginal communities also demonstrate strengths and resilience through cultural practices that restore connection and belonging. I will present a co-designed, community-led research protocol that integrates trauma-informed care with cultural healing practices and research methods, offering a pathway to strengthen attachments and break cycles of disadvantage. Attendees will gain insights into the interplay between trauma, culture, and attachment, and learn practical strategies for embedding cultural safety into the research process.

Attachment theory, rooted in Western individualistic paradigms, requires contextual adaptation to diverse cultural settings like South Africa's multicultural landscape. This presentation consolidates cultural insights from three attachment-focused studies conducted in South Africa, employing a thematic analysis to synthesize findings and propose an Afro-centric framework for understanding attachment experiences.

The first study explored adoption and attachment, revealing how cultural child-rearing practices—such as ubuntu-informed communal nurturing among Black South African families—shape secure attachments, contrasting with more individualistic adoptive bonds in Western-influenced contexts. The second examined attachment experiences of adolescent daughters of mothers with borderline personality disorder, highlighting cultural variations while the third study investigated South African grandparents' attachments to immigrated grandchildren. Thematic analysis across these three studies illuminates two key insights: (1) the inextricable link between child-rearing practices/beliefs and culture, manifesting in collectivist orientations that prioritize relational harmony over autonomy; and (2) South Africa's multicultural diversity, driving divergent attachment patterns (e.g., extended kin networks in African groups vs. nuclear family focus in others).

To bridge these, I propose the implications of the Afro-Attachment Framework, integrating ubuntu principles, ancestral interconnectedness, and contextual resilience. This framework reorients attachment theory toward African epistemologies, offering supervisors, clinicians, and policymakers culturally sensitive tools for intervention. Implications for practice and future research will also be discussed.