Summary of - Unpacking the psycho-social tensions in cross-race doctoral supervision: a co-constructed autoethnographic exploration

Title of Original: Unpacking the psycho-social tensions in cross-race doctoral supervision: a co-constructed autoethnographic exploration
Authors: Adan, A. and O'Sullivan
Journal: Journal of Psychosocial Studies 2025. 18 (1), p. 43–61
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1332/14786737Y2025D000000043

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Why This Matters - Understanding how race and identity shape supervision helps create fairer, more trusting, and inclusive relationships that enhance learning and professional growth.

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Read Time - 2 Minutes

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Doctoral supervision is a deeply relational process, influenced by identity, culture, and power. Despite the centrality of race to lived experience and its impact on trust, belonging, and voice, cross-race supervision remains underexplored. The study highlights how racialised identities and histories shape the experiences of both supervisors and supervisees, generating tensions but also creating opportunities for growth. Gaining a nuanced understanding of these dynamics is therefore essential for promoting equity, inclusion, and effective supervision practice in higher education and professional training.

The Research found:
The research, which used co-constructed autoethnography between two supervisors (one Black and one White), explored their shared experiences of working together and uncovered a range of psycho-social tensions. These included discomfort, silences, and uncertainty around discussing race; the unconscious influence of whiteness and privilege on supervisory relationships; the emotional labour carried by supervisors of colour in navigating both professional and racial identities; and the risk of misrecognition or minimisation of racialised experiences. At the same time, the process revealed significant transformative potential, as honest and reflexive dialogue about race was found to enrich supervision practice, while open engagement in cross-race collaboration deepened mutual understanding and fostered more authentic connections.

Practical recommendations include: the importance of explicitly acknowledging race in supervision and avoiding silence or minimisation. Supervisors are encouraged to develop reflexivity by critically examining their own positionality, privilege, and assumptions, while also fostering safe spaces where open dialogue and discomfort can be named and worked through. Institutional responsibility is key, with universities urged to embed race-conscious training into supervisor development to strengthen practice. Furthermore, it is essential to recognise the emotional labour often carried by supervisors of colour and to provide appropriate support. Finally, adopting collaborative approaches such as co-reflection, peer support, and shared supervision models can help balance power dynamics and deepen the quality of supervisory practice.