"On Those Who Escape Poverty"

Intersectional Analyses of Subjective Poverty in a University Context

Abstract

This study analyzes intersectionally the perception of subjective poverty among university students from public and private institutions in Northeastern Brazil. Two focus groups were conducted with students (n=22), mostly mixed-race, female, and with an income below the minimum wage, analyzed through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The results indicate that, while higher education represents progress in overcoming poverty, it also generates new vulnerabilities. Relocation and structural inequalities affect students' retention and well-being, demanding policies that promote equity and social support. Overcoming poverty in a structurally unequal context requires substantial investment to enable lasting social transformation, making education a genuine act of resistance.