A case study on the life itinerary of master's students: diverse origins and destinations, same boat

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54674/ess.v37i1.1025
Keywords: Life pathway; transitions; professional expectations; work-family-studies balance; master's degree students

Abstract

This case study offers the perspective of the life journey to holistically analyze people at the center of the social contexts in which they are embedded, based on the decisions with which they interact. The research was carried out with master's degree students from a Mexican state university who belonged to the disciplinary field of administrative economic sciences. It was developed with a sequential mixed methodology; the first phase was quantitative, and the second qualitative. In this article, the results of this last phase are presented, which was made from classifying the students by types through the comparative qualitative analysis, to then interview them and reconstruct their passage through the master's degree based on the transitions made between family, work, and studies. The results show a diversity of itineraries in which similarities and inequalities can be observed, mainly in gender roles, family structure and composition, as well as professional experience in the labor market. The combination of elements in master’s degree students’ pathways is complex, as they include employability, family and care responsibilities, as well as other commitments. Hence, understanding how they address that situation is relevant for educational institutions to adapt to their needs and to offer aid.

Author Biographies

Pedro Octavio Arce Casas, Guadalajara University

Pedro Octavio Arce Casas holds a PhD in Higher Education Management from the CUCEA of the University of Guadalajara, is a member of the SNI Candidate level, is an advisor to the Technical Secretariat of UDG Plus at the University of Guadalajara, and is a lecturer at the ISIDM. Research topics: equity and inclusion in educational policy and labor markets in Mexico.

Jonathan Alejandro González García, Guadalajara University

Jonathan Alejandro González García. Full-time professor at the University Center of Guadalajara of the University of Guadalajara, Mexico. He holds a master's degree in higher education management and policy from the University of Guadalajara and is a PhD candidate in innovation in educational technology at the Autonomous University of Queretaro. He has PRODEP profile recognition and is responsible for the Academic Research Body “1161-Innovation and Educational Management for Inclusion and Equity.”

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Published
2025-06-30
How to Cite
Arce Casas, P. O., & González García , J. A. (2025). A case study on the life itinerary of master’s students: diverse origins and destinations, same boat. Higher Education and Society Journal (ESS), 37(1), 433-447. https://doi.org/10.54674/ess.v37i1.1025
Issue
Vol 37 No 1 (2025): Gender and intersectionality at university: Inequalities, policies and transformations
Section
General section articles

Copyright (c) 2025 Pedro Octavio Arce Casas y Jonathan Alejandro González García

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