ERIC Number: EJ1230373
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0962-0214
EISSN: N/A
"I Never Thought This Could Be for Me": Aspirational Capital, Identities, and Political Engagement among First-Generation College Students in São Paulo
Klein, Charles H.; Carmo, Milena Mateuzi
International Studies in Sociology of Education, v28 n3-4 p259-278 2019
Today, young adults from lower-income backgrounds are pursuing educational trajectories that would have been distant dreams for their parents. In many Global South countries, this expansion has followed a neoliberal logic in which private universities purport to provide students skills and increased earning capacity, and employers the necessary human capital to compete in global markets. This article examines these processes in Brazil, where federal policies have contributed to a dramatic growth in private, for-profit higher education in recent years. Building on ethnographic research in São Paulo's expansive peripheries, our analysis examines three inter-related themes: higher education and life aspirations; intersectional identity construction; and political/community engagements. We argue that while neoliberal ideologies and policies are a key component of Brazilian higher education, many first-generation college students actively -- and critically -- challenge everyday oppressions and create new life possibilities in the context of enduring inequalities.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, First Generation College Students, Academic Aspiration, Occupational Aspiration, Aspiration, Cultural Capital, Neoliberalism, Gender Differences, Activism, Resistance (Psychology)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Brazil
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1534621