Do returns on investment for educating children in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico, pay off? A qualitative analysis

This paper is a qualitative study based on 11 ethnographic interviews with families in Oaxaca de Ju´arez, Mexico, that focused on the retrospective assessments of families concerning their decisions regarding the formal education of their children. The study includes a descriptive and detailed analysis of the phenomenological meanings families attribute to education in Oaxaca. The primary themes identified by families as playing a role in decision-making processes regarding education were: (1) the role of personal sacrifice for the benefit of the entire family; (2) the collective nature of educational achievement; (3) the association of education with upward social mobility for the family; (4) feelings of pride for the family and increased social status in the community; and (5) hope for a better life for the children’s generation.