Abstract

PIOTTO, Débora Cristina. Undergraduates from the lower classes doing highly selective courses: subjective aspects. Rev. bras. orientac. prof [online]. 2010, vol.11, n.2, pp. 229-242. ISSN 1984-7270.

Studies that investigate the entrance and continuation in college courses by students from the lower classes tend to look mostly at the cultural breach caused by the difference between their family and educational world, the suffering and the psychological harm caused by that transition. The aim of this article is to discuss subjective aspects of the educational paths and university experiences of students from the lower classes in highly selective courses in a public university in Brazil. To do that, we discuss interviews carried out with five students doing highly selective courses. The students' reports show that their pathways have been marked by hard work, uprooting and humiliation. On the other hand, entering a public university led to opportunities that changed their lifes' prospects.

Keywords : college courses; social class; lower class.

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