Rethinking Moral Work in the Context of Gentrification

Gentrification is increasingly framed as a moral issue, where competing actors struggle to define legitimacy, justice, and belonging. This article examines how these moral narratives shape public discourse in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, a gentrifying neighborhood in Montreal. Through a qualitative analysis of media coverage, promotional materials, and public statements, and using the Economies of Worth framework developed by Boltanski and Thévenot, we examine the types of moral justifications employed by developers and community organizations in this neighborhood. Our study shows that both sides invoke common ideals such as sustainability, community, and quality of life, yet do so in divergent ways, producing moments of moral overlap as well as deeper normative conflicts. We argue that gentrification is not only a spatial and economic process but also a moral struggle over legitimacy, responsibility, and urban belonging. Residents’ everyday ethical dilemmas, we suggest, are shaped by these broader discursive battles over what a good neighborhood ought to be.