Barbeques and shiny numbers: micro-ethical encounters in Sydney social housing estates

Abstract

Micro-ethical practices are at the heart of community development work, however they are often subsumed within descriptions and reports focused on projects and outcomes. In this article, we examine the critical role played by micro-ethical practices in addressing exclusion and misrecognition with community members experiencing social disadvantage. In three vignettes drawn from a weekly food and social support programme, we discuss the ways in which micro-ethical practices in community development can address exclusion at a fundamental level in the everyday environment using relation-based principles and a framework of recognition.