Quand l’endettement fait problème : variations et constantes de l’expérience d’endettement vécu comme étant problématique chez les jeunes adultes scolarisés à Montréal et à Santiago du Chili
Based on two case studies conducted in Montreal, Canada and Santiago, Chile, this thesis seeks to develop an understanding of the experience of debt as a resentful and problematic situation among educated young adults from both contexts. The aim is to analyze the link between both of their social experiences-the ones facing a problematic situation of debt and the social context in which this situation arises. Specifically, it firstly seeks to describe how, when, and why the experience of young adults in debt becomes a problem and secondly, it seeks to compare how this experience is constructed in the two contexts studied.  The empirical results are presented in three articles. The first one explored, through a qualitative study conducted with young adults in Montreal who frequented Family Economy Cooperative Associations (in  French ACEF) because of their debt, the dimensions that make the debt become a problematic situation. The two elements that emerge from this analysis are the individualistic dimension and its great responsibility, which induces debt among young Montrealers. The second and third article deal with the case of young people in debt under the undergraduate loans system which are granted by the Corporation for the Promotion of Production (in Spanish Corfo).   The social context of debt emergency is producing two very different types of debt experience. In Montreal, the consequences of debt are limited in time and they are possible to overcome by young people who see themselves responsible for their situation. Conversely, in Santiago, young people are forced to repay their debts and in order to do so, they develop a series of adaptation strategies. The consequences of these strategies are irreversible and have a long-term effect. The extension of the power of submission to an abusive loan expands to a large network of people, which makes them face debt collectively. This thesis shows evidence on the differences in the discourse of debt and its implications between Santiago and Montreal. While in Montreal the discourse of failure (and its correlation with depressive states) causes passivity among young people, in Santiago, this situation causes anger. Young people in debt group together in associations to report a situation they consider an abuse.
Student debt Student loan program Young adult Experience Comparaison Montreal Santiago