Social exclusion in public policies and the micropolitics of an association founded by migrants

The theme of social exclusion has gained visibility in recent years through political discourse. This paper problematises the issue of social exclusion by analysing the counter-hegemonic perspective grounded on the policies of an association, a civil society organization, in Portugal, facilitated by migrants and their descendants. The analysis is the result of a participatory research based on the collection of documentation and semi -structured interviews. The hegemonic discourse on social exclusion was analysed through empirical data from the perspective of those who inhabit and/or intervene in a neighbourhood that is the object of public policies targeting the so-called 'excluded'. Several paradoxes were identified between the social exclusion discourse conveyed in public policies and in the micropolitics of this association. The approach, goals and working methods that characterise the micropolitics of the association may contribute to the emergence of new forms of singularisation, through adult education initiatives.