Do acesso a permanência: travessia dos estudantes universitários ribeirinhos para escola superior de ciências da saúde do Amazonas

Abstract

Access to and permanence in university, for riverine students, involve a journey that goes beyond geographical barriers, revealing invisible inequalities that persist beyond academic gates. Despite the challenges, the presence of riverine youth in higher education represents a trajectory of struggle and resistance. This research aimed to identify the psychosocial dimensions of the transition from riverine communities to the city of Manaus/AM based on the experiences of students from the Amazonas State School of Health Sciences (ESA/AM). A qualitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional approach was adopted, grounded in critical social psychology and rural psychology. Five students, aged between 18 and 25, from the Dentistry and Nursing programs participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, field diaries, and photographic resources, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s Thematic Analysis (2006), resulting in three central themes and eight subthemes. The first theme concerns university access and permanence, with subthemes including the journey, differences in education, and permanence challenges; the second explores the psychosocial dimensions of academic life, focusing on psychological, social, and economic aspects; and the third addresses support networks in university life through affective bonds and family support. The findings highlight three main issues: (1) pedagogical elitism, which devalues traditional knowledge; (2) economic precariousness, with reports of exhausting work routines to finance academic life; and (3) impacts on mental health, marked by loneliness and uprootedness. The differences between rural and urban contexts significantly influence the university experience of riverine students, and current public policies still fail to address their specific needs. As coping strategies, students developed informal support networks and redefined their identities within the academic environment. The narratives point to the need for affirmative action policies that consider riverine realities, including emergency aid, sensitive teacher training, and decolonial curricula. This study reinforces the urgency of research that amplifies Amazonian voices in building a plural and inclusive university.