O canto da sereia? A educação superior como uma (im)possibilidade de mudança na trajetória profissional da ralé brasileira

Abstract

This research aimed to identify in the discourse of private higher education students belonging to the Brazilian ralé, narrative elements that pointed to the possibilities or impossibilities of success in changing their professional careers, after their entrance in a course of higher education. The stabilization and development of the Brazilian economy from the 1990s led to increased investment in industry and services and created the organizational demand for qualified workforce. Interested in meeting such demand, the federal government encouraged the expansion of the private sector of education and new faculties and schools emerged, significantly expanding the number of places available. Government programs such as the University for All Program (PROUNI) and the flexibility of concession rules by the Financial Aid program (FIES) through public banks favored the entrance of many youngster and adults of lower classes in undergraduate courses. Such individuals hoped that higher education would provide them an opportunity to change their career paths and, therefore, their lives. Since higher education by itself does not guarantee immediate or future opportunities for the career advancement of students coming from poor backgrounds, it has become pertinent to find out what actually changes in the career of the Brazilian ralé, students, as a result of their entrance in private higher education. To achieve this goal, a qualitative study was carried out with the participation of five students of Faculdade Anhanguera in Belo Horizonte, MG, enrolled in the full curriculum presential courses, who have benefited from at least 50% of scholarship funding through PROUNI or FIES. For data collection, we have adopted the life history approach, in its oral form, and these were further analyzed by means of critical discourse analysis. The research has shown that an individual’s chances of finding new employment through higher education are not linked to mere cause and effect relation. When trying to join a new professional field – in particular those involving top-level activities, in which they compete against members of the middle class – individuals belonging to the Brazilian ralé should seek to develop the habitus that are adequate to that field, at risk of failing to join it or to legitimize themselves in a given profession. Besides the habitus, individuals must broaden their symbolic capital, for this may determine their chances of success in the social world. It was concluded that the possibilities or impossibilities of students of the Brazilian ralé successfully changing their careers through higher education are conditioned to the expectations created by such students and to the quality of their efforts to fulfill them. The principles of institutionalized meritocracy prevail in society, keeping its characteristic of social segregation and requiring from members of the Brazilian ralé a much larger effort to have access to the same opportunities than that undertaken by members of the middle-class.