The Effect of Poverty on Expectations and Aspirations of Youth in Ejido Ruben Jaramillo, Mexico
Social Sciences
Sociology/Latin American and Latino Studies
There are many controversies surrounding the country of Mexico. A few include the consequences of NAFTA, corrupt government officials and the continuous debate over immigration to the United States. I believe one of the reasons people decide to migrate is because of increased educational opportunity. Thus, it is important to discuss some of the constraints on educational opportunities in Mexico, including how poverty can affect the educational hopes and expectations of youth. In this thesis, I define different forms of poverty and the measurement of poverty in Mexico and I discuss the formation and development of youth aspirations, expectations and attainment. Alongside past research regarding these concepts and findings from the government program OPORTUNIDADES, I conducted a three month ethnographic study including participant observation, surveys and unstructured interviews with youth in rural Jaramillo, Baja California, Mexico. I found that poverty in any form affected student aspirations very little; however, it did effect realistic expectations and behaviors toward true attainment.
