Formación, arraigo y movilidad rural–urbana en la juventud mexicana y española

| Despite the contextual differences, in Mexico as well as in Spain the relative weight of the rural population has decreased from the 1960s until now. Moreover, in both countries migrants from rural areas are mainly young people. Paradoxically, even urban young people —although in a minor quantity— consider rural areas to be an adequate place for the development of their professional careers. This is due to socioeconomic processes transforming rurality at present —agriculture technification, sectorial diversification, institutional decentralisation, consolidation of development governance structures— and the consequent symbolic valorisation of rurality. In this context, the paper presents the preliminary results of a research about the role education plays in securing the sustainability of rural population by providing favourable prospects and job placement opportunities in these areas; or in an opposite sense, encouraging young people to employ their qualifications elsewhere. For this purpose, we are making use of a quantitative and qualitative methodology in a structural sample of institutes in different territories and levels (vocational training, pre-university and university). The main goal is connecting the institutional and structural characteristics of education centres and places with the expectations of different categories of young people according to their social features. The preliminary field work shows how mobility allows the young people to go beyond the rural–urban divide in their education, although often conditioned by their social origin and gender. However, this does not always allow them to aspire to formal and well– paid employment, both in cities and the countryside.