Mothers and Daughters: (Un)Belonging of First-Generation Women at Elite Universities in Brazil and England in the Twenty-First Century

• In Event: Making visible the unseen: Interrogating Education in Latin America through Feminist and Intersectional Lenses

Proposal

In recent years, Brazil and England have implemented different public policy approaches to enhance diversity within elite universities and increase the representation of under-represented groups among undergraduate students. In Brazil, a socio-racial quota system was introduced in public universities with the goal of increasing the admission of non-white students and students from state schools in prestigious institutions. In contrast, England's Office for Students, responsible for overseeing higher education access, implemented access agreements that set specific targets for institutions charging higher tuition fees, including goals to increase the admission of students from state schools.
These efforts have contributed to a more diverse student body within these universities. However, it is important to consider how these students are received in institutions that were historically exclusive and built upon their exclusion. Rather than solely focusing on "diversity," this study shifts the attention towards the concept of "belonging" in higher education. Encompassing various dimensions of (un)belonging, including material, intellectual, emotional, and psychological aspects, it focuses on racially and socially marginalized women who are the first in their families to attend university in elite institutions in the twenty-first century.
The study places a particular emphasis on women to gain insights into gender inequality from an intergenerational perspective. It delves into the relationships between women who are first-generation university students and their families, with a focus on their mothers. These women are disrupting cycles of inequalities that hindered their mothers and previous generations from pursuing a university degree, often leading to precarious jobs, particularly in reproductive work. Additionally, it incorporates the perspectives of mothers to understand their roles in their daughters' educational journeys and how the mother-daughter relationship at home influences the daughters' experiences of (un)belonging at university. Furthermore, the study explores how these first-generation women potentially reclaim their identities and create spaces of solidarity and belonging within these elite institutions.
The research methodology employed is qualitative, with a focus on in-depth interviews conducted in both Brazil and England. The participants include women who are the first in their families to pursue a university education in the twenty-first century, as well as their mothers. Their life stories are examined through an analytical framework that considers the intersections of coloniality, capitalism, racism, patriarchy, and class formation. By employing this lens, the research explores the historical context of access to education and labor market participation for women, taking into account how these factors have influenced their experiences based on their racial and class backgrounds.
In conclusion, this study aims to shed light on the experiences of racially and socially marginalized women who are first-generation university students in Brazil and England in the twenty-first century, uncovering their journeys of (un)belonging in historically exclusionary environments from a transnational and intersectional perspective. By delving into their lived experiences, this research seeks to uncover the ways in which these women actively shape their identities, reclaim spaces and navigate the complexities of (un)belonging within historically exclusionary environments, aiming to foster a more inclusive and equitable higher education system.

Author

• Anna Maria Del Fiorentino, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge