Expectations and post-secondary educational trajectories of young people from rural areas in Chile. A human development perspective

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between education and territory with regard to the differences in the aspirations and university educational trajectories of adolescents from urban and rural educational centers, and the strategies designed by these centers to solve the lack of opportunities in their environment. For this purpose, the human development approach is used as a theoretical frame of reference and, methodologically, the analysis of educational trajectories. The results show that the expectation of completing a university degree has increased among rural students, which reduces the expectations gap in relation to those of students from large urban conglomerates. However, the transition to university keeps being discriminatory. Migration emerges as the main strategy in rural territories, which is perceived as necessary, although it implies a high economic and emotional cost.