Relación entre los discursos meritocráticos y experiencias de malestar subjetivo en estudiantes de la universidad de chile

Esteban Hernández Cáceres

doi:10.5354/2735-7279.2024.76559

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Relationship between meritocratic discourses and experiences of subjective discomfort in students at the university of chile

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Esteban Hernández Cáceres Independiente https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2845-6264

Vol. 21 No. 2 (2024): II Semestre

https://doi.org/10.5354/2735-7279.2024.76559

Abstract

In 2019, the University of Chile presented a series of mobilizations around mental health, where students expressed their discomfort with a culture of competition and meritocratic discourses that justify any sacrifice in the name of effort, vocation and passion for studying. This research seeks to understand how meritocratic discourses are related to the experiences of subjective discomfort of students at the University of Chile. Using a qualitative approach, eight semi-structured interviews applied to undergraduate students during the academic period 2022 were analyzed. The main findings reveal that the process of studying at university is linked to a series of constant demands, in which the need to be productive appears as a mechanism to mitigate subjective discomfort. Furthermore, it is evident that society normalizes precariousness through meritocratic discourses, presenting it as a primordial element to achieve personal goals. In this context, emotional processes are displaced to the background, prioritizing maximum individual fulfillment through a hard work ethic, which is promoted as synonymous with success and motivation.

Keywords:

meritocratic discourses, students, Universidad de Chile, subjective discomfort, mental health

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Hernández Cáceres, E. (2024). Relationship between meritocratic discourses and experiences of subjective discomfort in students at the university of chile. Revista Enfoques Educacionales, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.5354/2735-7279.2024.76559