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

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe 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.