- Research Article
- 10.23900/artefactum.v25i2.2703
TEACHER EDUCATION AND THE LIMITS OF SOCIAL MOBILITY: A CASE STUDY IN LIGHT OF BOURDIEU
- Apr 16, 2026
- Artefactum - revista de estudos interdisciplinares
- Daniê Regina Mikolaiczik + 1 more +1
In Brazil, one of the countries with the highest levels of social inequality in the world, obtaining an undergraduate degree is a decisive factor for upward social mobility. In the case of teacher education programmes, however, despite the importance of teacher training for the development of future generations, graduates still face significant challenges in achieving meaningful socioeconomic improvements. This study aimed to understand the particularities of social mobility associated with obtaining a degree in higher education teaching programmes. To this end, a case study was conducted at a public university located in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, created in 2009. Questionnaires – consisting of closed questions and one open question – were administered to all graduates of six teaching degree programmes who graduated by 2020. The responses to the closed questions were analysed using descriptive statistics, while the open question was subjected to thematic content analysis, with categories guided by the theoretical dimensions of social mobility and Bourdieu's types of capital. The results indicate that obtaining a degree promoted partial social mobility. There was an increase in individuals' cultural and social capital, while economic and symbolic capital remained relatively unchanged.
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