Social Mobility in Argentina - An Inquiry to the Educational System
Translated title
Social Mobilitet i Argentina - En Forespørgsel til Uddannelsessystemet
Author
Jacobsen, Mauro Nicolas
Term
4. term
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-07-31
Pages
70
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan Argentinas uddannelsessystem påvirker social mobilitet—menneskers muligheder for at forbedre eller miste deres sociale og økonomiske position. Selvom uddannelse er gratis for alle, er det kun relativt få, der får adgang til eller fuldfører en videregående uddannelse. Studiet spørger, hvorfor denne kløft eksisterer, og hvad den betyder for mobiliteten. Det ser på, hvordan fattigdom og ulighed former elevers forløb, hvordan undervisningsformer (pædagogikker) påvirker læring og progression, og hvordan systemets struktur er blevet formet af store socioøkonomiske og politiske begivenheder. Analysen omfatter både landets aktuelle situation og mulige fremtidige udviklinger. På individniveau undersøger specialet de faktorer, der påvirker beslutningen hos den relativt lille andel, som vælger en videregående uddannelse. Samlet set vurderes det, om uddannelsessystemet primært reproducerer de eksisterende sociale hierarkier, eller om det kan bryde cirkler af fattigdom og ulighed. Studiet anvender Pierre Bourdieus teori om social reproduktion til at forbinde institutioner og personlige valg. Centrale begreber er habitus (dispositioner og forventninger formet af ens baggrund), felt (de sociale arenaer, hvor mennesker og institutioner interagerer), kapitaler (økonomiske, sociale og kulturelle ressourcer) og symbolsk vold (fine magtformer, der får fordel til at fremstå naturlig). Denne ramme muliggør en samlet analyse af, hvordan systemets regler og individers biografier sammen former mobilitet. Specialet konkluderer, at uddannelsessystemet spiller en meget væsentlig rolle for social mobilitet i Argentina. Det viser også, at socioøkonomiske og politiske kontekster kan skjule eller tydeliggøre realiteten bag udbredte forestillinger om, hvad skolen kan udrette.
This thesis investigates how Argentina's education system influences social mobility—people's chances to improve or lose their social and economic position. Although schooling is free for everyone, relatively few students access or complete higher education. The study asks why this gap exists and what it means for mobility. It examines how poverty and inequality shape students' pathways, how teaching approaches (pedagogies) affect learning and progression, and how the system's structure has been molded by major socioeconomic and political events. The analysis considers both the country's current situation and possible future directions. At the individual level, the thesis explores the factors that influence the decision of the relatively small share who pursue higher education. Taken together, these perspectives help assess whether the education system mostly reproduces existing social hierarchies or can help break cycles of poverty and inequality. The study uses Pierre Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction to connect institutions and personal choices. Key concepts are habitus (the dispositions and expectations shaped by one's background), field (the social arenas in which people and institutions interact), capitals (economic, social, and cultural resources), and symbolic violence (subtle forms of power that make advantage seem natural). This framework supports an integrated analysis of how the system's rules and individuals' biographies interact to shape mobility. The thesis concludes that the education system plays a very significant role in social mobility in Argentina. It also shows that socioeconomic and political contexts can hide or reveal the reality behind common beliefs about what schools can achieve.
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