Indigeneity and Pathways through Higher Education in Mexico
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
Department Name: Education
Abstract
The social and economic disadvantage faced by Indigenous groups represents a significant global policy challenge. The world's 310 million Indigenous peoples, who largely live in Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries, face a poverty rate that is estimated to be twice that of the non-Indigenous population, as well as poorer health and education outcomes, and a lack of recognition of their rights. In terms of addressing this policy challenge, many countries have developed pioneering social policies in health, welfare, employment, and more recently in higher education. Little is known about how innovations in higher education policy, including diversified forms of higher education provision, are affecting the social and economic development of Indigenous peoples, including the relative benefit of policies that seek to assimilate (by programmes of affirmative action) or separate Indigenous youth (into universities designed specifically for them). Underlying policy development, we can identify two competing discourses, a collectivising one on Indigenous knowledge and identities, and an individualising one of skills development and labour market entry. These both represent distinct values, politics, and methods, as well as real tensions in the needs of Indigenous peoples. This project stands at the conjunction of these discourses and will seek to critically question how different types of university impact on Indigenous groups both socially and instrumentally, through focussing on the Mexican case. Mexico represents the ideal internationally relevant case study given its pioneering role developing new kinds of university provision designed specifically for Indigenous groups ('intercultural universities'). We examine how the type of university attended impacts on Indigenous student experiences, skills/knowledge acquired, and identifications across different social domains. The proposal has been developed in partnership with the Mexican Ministry of Education, Indigenous community development NGOs, UNESCO, and the Mexican National Association for Universities and Higher Education.
The proposal brings together an international team of researchers in the field of Indigeneity from Universidad Veracruz with sociologists of education from UNAM (Mexico City) and University of Bath. In order to generate knowledge about the effect of attending different types of university, qualitative research will be carried out across 3 purposefully selected universities representing diversity of institutional type within Mexican higher education. Participant observation will be conducted within each institution, which will enable the identification of 60 Indigenous students to be tracked longitudinally over a 3-year period, following them as they progress through university and beyond. Taking this longitudinal approach, careful attention will be paid to continuity and change, as well as important differences based on university attended, in terms of their experiences, encounters, skills/knowledge acquired and aspirations for the future. To provide a more complete picture, perspectives will also be gained about the impact of university attended from 3 members of their social network situated across the social domains of their Indigenous 'community', peer-group and post-university destination (e.g. workplace). Working with Indigenous community development groups, and project partner in the Mexican Ministry of Education, as well as other influential partners in the fields of policy and practice, sustainable recommendations for policy and practice will be developed. The work is relevant to other developing country contexts facing similar challenges, and the potential for impact across these other countries will be maximised through our partnership with UNESCO.
The proposal brings together an international team of researchers in the field of Indigeneity from Universidad Veracruz with sociologists of education from UNAM (Mexico City) and University of Bath. In order to generate knowledge about the effect of attending different types of university, qualitative research will be carried out across 3 purposefully selected universities representing diversity of institutional type within Mexican higher education. Participant observation will be conducted within each institution, which will enable the identification of 60 Indigenous students to be tracked longitudinally over a 3-year period, following them as they progress through university and beyond. Taking this longitudinal approach, careful attention will be paid to continuity and change, as well as important differences based on university attended, in terms of their experiences, encounters, skills/knowledge acquired and aspirations for the future. To provide a more complete picture, perspectives will also be gained about the impact of university attended from 3 members of their social network situated across the social domains of their Indigenous 'community', peer-group and post-university destination (e.g. workplace). Working with Indigenous community development groups, and project partner in the Mexican Ministry of Education, as well as other influential partners in the fields of policy and practice, sustainable recommendations for policy and practice will be developed. The work is relevant to other developing country contexts facing similar challenges, and the potential for impact across these other countries will be maximised through our partnership with UNESCO.
Planned Impact
Through working with project partners to propose recommendations for policy and practice, as well as developing resources and activities (see pathways to impact), this project will have an impact on higher education experiences, skills acquisition, and the collective identities of Indigenous peoples. In the first month of the project, a workshop will be held in Mexico City to engage stakeholders in the project's aims, design, methods and planned outputs, with stakeholder group members (see pathways to impact) and a wider body of research users attending. There are 4 primary beneficiaries of the research:
1. Government policy-makers and international organisations
Findings from this research will help policy-makers in Mexico (and other ODA countries with significant Indigenous populations) to develop higher education system which ensure the educational development of Indigenous groups without harming their collective identities. Evidence will be generated to address key policy challenges, including the experiences of Indigenous youth across different types of universities, university to labour market transitions for Indigenous students, and understandings about how education policy and practice influences the collective identities of Indigenous communities. Whilst the project will be of most immediate benefit to the Mexican context, it will also provide a test case, and identification of a model, that UNESCO may subsequently adapt for use in other developing country contexts.
2. Universities and higher education bodies
Universities across Mexico, as well as bodies that represent them, will benefit from this research, especially given the increasing onus placed on them to ensure equality in access, experiences and outcomes for under-represented groups - including Indigenous peoples. Through the delivery of workshops, the research will help support universities to develop more inclusive forms of pedagogy, curricular and educational practices which enable Indigenous youth to develop important skills needed for their post-university destinations. Impact for universities will also be achieved through working with them to produce resources (online and print) that support higher education transitions for Indigenous youth.
3. Community development NGOs
The community development NGOs which deliver programmes and initiatives to support Indigenous groups will benefit from knowledge generated here about how the education system can enhance skills development and labour market outcomes. Three NGOs who work directly with Indigenous communities from across Mexico will be active participants in the research through membership of the stakeholder group (see pathways to impact). Our work will provide important knowledge about education and skills opportunities that are beneficial to Indigenous groups, as well as providing the insight about how these groups can best succeed in the education and training system.
4. Indigenous students and their wider communities
The project will lead to improvements in the experiences of Indigenous students in higher education through proposed recommendations for university policies and practices. It will likely have secondary impacts on the number of Indigenous youth transitioning to university, as well as having enhanced capacity to act as cultural brokers between Indigenous communities and wider society. It is also likely that the project will help universities understand the sorts of skills and knowledge Indigenous students require, and so positively impact on their career and employment destinations. Indigenous youth participating in the research will also themselves benefit from the opportunity to reflect on their education, sense of belonging and relationship with their wider communities. Impact will be achieved through involvement of Indigenous youths in the stakeholder group, production of resources, and community engagement activities.
1. Government policy-makers and international organisations
Findings from this research will help policy-makers in Mexico (and other ODA countries with significant Indigenous populations) to develop higher education system which ensure the educational development of Indigenous groups without harming their collective identities. Evidence will be generated to address key policy challenges, including the experiences of Indigenous youth across different types of universities, university to labour market transitions for Indigenous students, and understandings about how education policy and practice influences the collective identities of Indigenous communities. Whilst the project will be of most immediate benefit to the Mexican context, it will also provide a test case, and identification of a model, that UNESCO may subsequently adapt for use in other developing country contexts.
2. Universities and higher education bodies
Universities across Mexico, as well as bodies that represent them, will benefit from this research, especially given the increasing onus placed on them to ensure equality in access, experiences and outcomes for under-represented groups - including Indigenous peoples. Through the delivery of workshops, the research will help support universities to develop more inclusive forms of pedagogy, curricular and educational practices which enable Indigenous youth to develop important skills needed for their post-university destinations. Impact for universities will also be achieved through working with them to produce resources (online and print) that support higher education transitions for Indigenous youth.
3. Community development NGOs
The community development NGOs which deliver programmes and initiatives to support Indigenous groups will benefit from knowledge generated here about how the education system can enhance skills development and labour market outcomes. Three NGOs who work directly with Indigenous communities from across Mexico will be active participants in the research through membership of the stakeholder group (see pathways to impact). Our work will provide important knowledge about education and skills opportunities that are beneficial to Indigenous groups, as well as providing the insight about how these groups can best succeed in the education and training system.
4. Indigenous students and their wider communities
The project will lead to improvements in the experiences of Indigenous students in higher education through proposed recommendations for university policies and practices. It will likely have secondary impacts on the number of Indigenous youth transitioning to university, as well as having enhanced capacity to act as cultural brokers between Indigenous communities and wider society. It is also likely that the project will help universities understand the sorts of skills and knowledge Indigenous students require, and so positively impact on their career and employment destinations. Indigenous youth participating in the research will also themselves benefit from the opportunity to reflect on their education, sense of belonging and relationship with their wider communities. Impact will be achieved through involvement of Indigenous youths in the stakeholder group, production of resources, and community engagement activities.
Publications
Rivera Olvera M
(2023)
Huellas comunitarias en las trayectorias formativas de estudiantes del Instituto Superior Intercultural Ayuuk
in Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios Educativos
| Description | We are still analyzing, sharing and co-interpreting the data derived from this project, but we can identify some findings that emerged from comparing and contrasting different types of universities in which the indigenous students have been educated. There are many convergences in relation to university experiences and trajectories. In almost all cases, regardless of the type of HEI attended, becoming university students transforms personal identifications: The role of a student and young adult, unknown in many of their indigenous communities, implies responsibilities and needs for autonomy from the family and the community that were not experienced in high school. This change of role affects the entire participant group, but in particular leaves an identity imprint on female students and graduates, who experience a particular distance between the roles expected in their community and/or family and those expected of them at the university. In HEIs farther away from their hometowns, these transformations and tensions are increased by the corresponding migratory processes. Migrating from the countryside to the city or from one rural region to another to access higher education uproots and re-roots; sometimes feelings of loneliness, isolation and loss of support networks predominate, while in many cases - after an initial critical phase - it is possible to generate new networks and even a "new community" shared in the urban context by students with similar backgrounds. Another convergence highlighted by practically all participants is the need to diversify forms of learning, to become more autonomous in the elaboration of tasks, work and academic activities. In both urban and rural HEIs, psycho-pedagogical support and personalized and continuous tutoring, not only for academic issues but also focusing comprehensively on the student, have been identified as a key factor for academic success. For migrant students in metropolitan contexts, this very close follow-up must also include orientations to student life on an urban campus and in the big city, something unknown to many new students of rural origin. We are identifying several important differences between students who attend conventional urban universities and those who attend community or intercultural universities. First, if there is a close relationship between the university and the host community, these connections allow students to generate learning both in and outside of the classroom that is close to and compatible with the experiences they have had in their own communities. This enables them to apply and "translate" their community knowledge in relation to the new "academic knowledge" acquired throughout their university studies. This type of dialogue of knowledge is much more limited and almost non-existent in metropolitan universities that lack an intercultural approach. Secondly, together with the knowledge of the local context, in intercultural or community universities the students' mother tongues, although not always used as channels of academic communication, are made visible and recognized. In the workshops, participants commented on how they gradually realized that their bilingual knowledge is a very useful and necessary resource, a kind of "linguistic capital" which is very valuable in their professionalization processes, something that is almost completely absent in urban universities. Thus, depending on the type of university, the multilingualism of the student body itself is used as an asset or, on the contrary, is stigmatized. As mentioned above, experiences with racism, classism and sexism constitute a third divergence. Especially in metropolitan universities and private "elite universities", socioeconomic inequalities expose students of rural and indigenous origin to direct and personal experiences of rejection, exclusion and harassment due to multiple and intersecting discriminations, experiences that are barely being perceived and problematized by the HEIs themselves, which at most have some policy for gender-based violence, but completely ignore racist and classist violence. On the other hand, community and intercultural universities are often discriminated against as a whole by university hierarchies and by the perception of being "second-rate" institutions, but, given the student body composition, the type of majors they offer and their use of indigenous languages and knowledge, they seem to succeed in preparing their students and graduates to be more explicitly aware of their collective and individual rights in the face of racist, classist and sexist acts. In these emerging experiences of interculturalizing knowledge and multilingualizing its transmission in universities, we identify the first steps to reverse the "epistemological racism" that characterizes the Eurocentric university: Despite the diversification of the student body, faculty and curriculum, many universities continue to exclude the languages, knowledge, worldviews and, thus, the epistemologies of their own actors, replacing them with an institutionalized "Western-centrism". Finally, among those who graduate from the different types of universities - but with greater weight and presence in intercultural and community universities - we perceive the emergence of a new agency, of a professional committed to his/her family and community, aware of his/her rights and the complementary value of extra-community professional knowledge, who chooses to return to his/her family and local environment to generate productive, associative, cultural and/or political processes "from below". These returned professional youth do not necessarily hold a salaried job that corresponds to their university degree, but rather return to resume agricultural farming activities in the milpa along with other productive activities, continuously applying a synthesis of their communal and academic knowledge. Thus, a new "communal literacy" emerges, a generation of young people who retake spaces for communal life and sociability in close relation to the knowledge acquired during their time in school. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings produced by our research have particular relevance to the fields of education and sociology, especially the sub-fields of international development and the sociology of education. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Education Government Democracy and Justice |