A congestion of ‘good’ intentions: Exploring moral distress among professionals in ECEC

The field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) has received increasing political and administrative attention over the past three decades, fuelling external expectations and intentions about how pedagogues as staff conduct themselves as professionals. Drawing on an ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark, this paper shows how the everyday pedagogical environment – manifested in learning objectives, screening tools, pedagogical artefacts and expert guidance – materialises intentions which are rooted in historical pedagogy, curriculum mandates, societal expectations and private company involvement in professional development. Through perspectives from the sociology of emotions, the paper examines how moral distress arises when pedagogues navigate this congestion of ‘good’ intentions encompassing multiple and conflicting moral imperatives. Rather than stemming solely from professional values meeting external constraints, our findings highlight how moral distress emerges from the congested interplay between forces, as pedagogues internalise, enact and reconcile competing ideals of care, learning and professional responsibility.