Formative spaces, sociability and political organization: a glance at university student housing within the Ibero-American context (in the 20th century)

Abstract

This paper discusses university student housing from the standpoint of the history of education and within the Ibero-American context in the 20^th century. It encompasses the cases of Brazil, Spain and Portugal, seeking to understand the genesis, organization models and funding of these collective housing spaces. We have also collected, from the aforementioned countries’ databases, academic studies on this topic, focusing on the approaches and problematization posed by such studies. In addition, we have resorted to files provided by the universities and housing places themselves. Our research allows us to conclude that: student housing is a phenomenon intrinsic to universities and to the migratory flow they engender; that there is a wealth of terms to name these places, such as lodgings, colegios mayores, student houses, university housing, fraternities and even the suggestive term republics; that university student housing transcend their function as mere lodgings, and become spaces for socializing, exchanging ideas, formation and political organization; that the foundation, administration and funding of such places was carried out both by public policies and university polices, as well as by patronage and by political, religious and national groups, among other sorts of community and ties of belonging.