Reflections on university dropout and student retention through the lens of intersectionality

Abstract

This article aims to present and discuss the concepts of dropout and student retention in Higher Education from a perspective grounded in intersectionality and social justice, in dialogue with contemporary educational policies. It is based on the premise that understanding dropout and retention processes in Higher Education requires moving beyond simplistic, meritocratic and isolated interpretations, adopting instead a critical, intersectional approach committed to defending education as a social right and a public good. This study consists of a qualitative literature review, assuming that addressing dropout cannot be understood through linear or unidimensional explanations, and instead demands a dynamic articulation between public policies, institutional practices, and the recognition of the heterogeneity of student trajectories. The qualitative analysis of the data sought to highlight that retention and dropout processes emerge from the interaction of multiple dimensions that mutually influence one another within the university system. By bringing together and systematizing theoretical frameworks and recent scholarship on the topic, the study aims to broaden the academic and political debate surrounding policies that ensure retention in public, free, and socially oriented Higher Education, advocating retention as a right whose realization depends on integrated, contextualized approaches committed to overcoming structural inequalities.