Using communities of practice to build a resilient archaeological discipline in Australia
In this year of seemingly unending challenges, the Australian archaeological community is presented with a timely opportunity to take stock of our professional heritage. Wallis argues that the discipline faces an uncertain future, largely brought about by a research and teaching environment which is ‘hyper-competitive, increasingly elitist and … narrow [in scope]’, driven by the long-term influences of neoliberalism. As noted, we continue to be a community cleft along lines of employment sector, speciality and culture; a dynamic seemingly reinforced within our current professional community. As we seek to navigate a progressively difficult socio-political and economic landscape, we must collectively consider how such divisions can be bridged and how we might transform ourselves into a dynamic, resilient community into the future. To do so, it is essential that we better match the needs and expectations of our discipline with those of educators, students, Traditional Custodians and practitioners, while also extending our public reach and engagement.