Notions of success and life plans for children with displacement trajectories in Colombia: Challenges in formal and non-formal educational settings

Abstract

This research explores notions of success and life plan among children who have experienced forced migration. This study compares a formal and non-formal educational setting in Soacha, Cundinamarca, Colombia. The objective was to see how children’s displacement trajectories and experiences in educational contexts influence the way they think about their future. In doing so, I consider two concepts: notions of success and life plan articulation with the theoretical lenses of positive psychology and flourishing (Fredrickson & Losada, 2005), the architecture of practices in education from Kemmis, Wilkinson, Edwards-Groves, Hardy, Grootenboer, & Bristol (2014), and futures in action (Mische, 2009). Results evidence that while forced displacement trajectories influence the way children think about the future, the educational setting, with the inclusion of different participants such as teachers, community leaders, and parents, plays a crucial role in the definition of goals and ideals in children’s lives.