Within the Bounds of Marketisation: Exploring Diverse Aspirations of Chile
Event Materials
This event is now archived and we are pleased to provide the following event media and assets, along with the original event overview.
This seminar will explore the diverse aspirations of Chile’s first-in-generation students with Prof Carolina Guzmán-Valenzuela.
In higher education, especially within the market-driven environment of Chile, it is essential to recognise that first-in-generation students do not constitute a monolithic group. Many of these students come from impoverished backgrounds, yet there is a significant diversity in their aspirations. This presentation draws attention to those students who, despite their socio-economic constraints, exhibit ambitious ‘grammars of aspiration’ commonly seen within middle or upper-class demographics.
Based on an empirical qualitative study and informed by Ball et al.‘s ‘grammars of aspiration’, Professor Carolina Guzmán-Valenzuela will delve into the distinct educational paths these students embark upon. While some predominantly depend on the financial and emotional support available, those with ambitious aspirations chart a unique course, often driven by families who identify their academic potential early on and direct them towards academically oriented institutions. The intricacies of these journeys, with their complexities, trajectories, and intersections, are uniquely experienced by each student and unfold against the challenging landscape of a market-oriented economy.
(Study supported by Fondecyt grants [1210392] and [1200633], and the Millennium Nucleus ‘Student Experience in Higher Education in Chile: Expectations and Realities’).
Share this event
Carolina Guzmán-Valenzuela is a Professor of Higher Education at Universidad de Tarapacá, Chile. Over the past decade, she has critically engaged with the evolving challenges and roles of 21st-century universities. Her research illuminates the intricate relationships universities maintain with both the state and market forces. With a deep-seated interest in the impacts of neoliberal policies, she further delves into issues such as university decolonisation and the geopolitics of knowledge creation.
