A new path: student pioneers and communication practices in rural Mexico

ABSTRACT

The study examines the beliefs and attitudes that shape the communication among university students in Cerritos, San Luis Potosí. The Mexican national movement to increase access to higher education across the nation and in particular rural and impoverished areas necessitates studies that examine the unique challenges rural students face, including cultural and communication barriers. Culture and communication theory lead to an assumption that this particular population has a unique set of communication practices and a degree of intercultural identity that can be measured and described for the good of the students and the university. Findings are based on 54 surveys distributed by hard copy to participants selected by convenience sampling and analysed using basic statistical techniques. The information gathered in this quantitative study is a starting point for exploratory research. Participants were found to differ from the national norms in the areas of collectivism and concepts of status. Subgroups of participants from the town, villages, and those with experience abroad were found to be relatively alike in their answers. Further research is recommended in the form of in-depth interviews.

KEYWORDS:

• intercultural communication
• higher education
• first-generation college attendees
• rural communication

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Susan Bernhart is originally from Rochester, New York, USA. She holds an undergraduate degree in Applied Arts and Sciences with concentrations in Writing and Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology. In her third year of the program she won the Kearse Award for Outstanding Essay in a Liberal Arts Course. She recently earned the master’s degree in Innovación Comunicativa para las Organizaciones (MIC) at Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. She has a particular interest in the mission of MIC to intervene in communications systems to bring about social change. Her interest in the field of communications was demonstrated while working at Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago. There she translated Computer Literacy textbooks from Spanish to English, wrote grant proposal narratives, and designed presentations about the Tech Center for clients and funders. At Erie House she also worked on the team to research, develop, and implement the Pathways to Success program. Ms. Bernhart has work experience in San Luis Potosí. She has taught advanced English and business English at Leeds United Language School and advanced English, pedagogy, computer skills, and phonology classes at Universidad Tangamanga.