Evolución en la definición del estudiante vulnerable en la investigación educativa

This paper presents the results of a literature review about the concept of “disadvantaged populations in higher education” employed in 102 papers of six journals published in three countries with a racial segregation background (Australia, United States and England), as well as affirmative action policies in their higher education systems. We found that the concept has evolved in the last two decades, from a restricted definition of those who are part of this populations, to a wider delineation which includes more groups which had not been considered previously (such as first generation students, student-workers, older students, refugees, disabled students, and special needs groups). By considering the cultural, economic, social and personal factors associated with educational inequalities in certain populations, it is possible to explain the violent social structures and cultural violence that permeate higher education. The literature has made visible the existence of multidimensional factors associated with disadvantages in access, permanence and graduation from higher education, as a result of this violence.