Ethics of care involving young children: perspectives from Australia and Brazil

This study examines the enactment of ethics of care in research with young children (0-3 years old), drawing on ethnographic studies in Australia and in Brazil. Adding to a process-oriented approach, we analyse critical events to explore how ethical practices emerge and create opportunities for care. The cases illustrate how researchers navigated ethical dilemmas – choosing to engage, such as assisting young children, or stepping back during peer conflicts – guided by attentiveness to their needs, cues and agency. Using an ethics of care lens and reflections on video-recorded incidents, we highlight how time, sensitivity, and relational understanding shape ethical decision-making. By contrasting these contexts, the study deepens understanding of how ethical considerations influence interactions and underscores the central role of researcher presence, care, and responsiveness. The findings offer practical insights for ethically engaged research with young children across diverse cultural and social settings.