Social Class and the Decision to Pursue a Doctoral Degree: A Multiple-Case Study of a New Generation of Ph.D. Holders in Chile

• In Event: International Practices in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education

Abstract

In this article, we examine the factors that a group of Chilean PhD holders ascribe to their decision to study a doctoral degree in a USA university through a multiple-case study. Conceptually, we use social class theories to articulate them with doctoral education literature. Slightly different to what other authors have pointed out (Ong 1996; Phelps 2014; Zhou 2015), findings show that their decision to study a doctoral degree in the USA was informed by their perception of how they saw themselves in the Chilean social structure. In most cases, participants wanted to study in European countries, but their decision to study in the USA was largely influenced by national policies.

Authors

• Roxana Chiappa

• AnaLuisa Munoz-Garcia, Universidad Andres Bello