Sense of community and dynamics of inclusion-exclusion by receiving communities

Sense of community is a concept in community psychology that is usually associated with\ud supportive environment and positive outcomes. However, the very nature of sense of\ud community necessitates acts of social comparison to determine who can and cannot be\ud accepted as members. This paper explores the dynamics of sense of community, drawing\ud on theories of whiteness and moral exclusion to understand the ways in which – formally\ud and informally – some immigrants and refugees are treated in Australia. There is clear\ud evidence that the positive elements of sense of community can also be used in ways that\ud work to exclude, stigmatise, as well as vilify the newcomers. This paper will draw upon\ud the knowledgebase in areas of immigration, race, and oppression, together with the\ud political stance inherent in the field to encourage community (and other) psychologists to\ud actively enter into the public and private debates about the place of immigrants and\ud refugees