Higher Education, Youth and Migration in Contexts of Disadvantage: Understanding Aspirations and Capabilities

Abstract

This book explores the lives, experiences and the formation of higher educational aspirations among marginalised migrant youth in South Africa. Using a case study based in Johannesburg, the author illuminates their voices in order to demonstrate the reality faced by these young people in the context of migration to the Global South. Within the complex landscape of global and African migration, this book draws on detailed narratives to understand the conditions under which aspirations for higher education are – or are not – developed. In doing so, the author highlights the value of understanding individual lives, experiences and opportunities from a human development point of view, capturing the multidimensional disadvantages experienced by migrants in a balanced, intersectional manner. Balancing empirical data with theoretical analysis, this volume tells a rich, nuanced story about marginalised migrant youth – an essential work for understanding the conditions necessary for such youth to live valuable lives in both local and international contexts. This book will appeal to students and scholars of youth migration, aspiration and educational opportunities, particularly within the Global South.