Date: Tue, 05 Mar 1996 14:40:37 +1000 (EST)
From: g.maclennan-AT-qut.edu.au (g.maclennan)
Subject: Re: Learning to Labor


>>Jon------
>I'm almost finished reading this book (_Learning to Labor_ by Paul Willis,
>1978) and happen to think it's great.  I idly wonder if anyone agreed or
>disagreed with this judgment.
>

I used to teach it in a language and society class for teachers.  It's
especially good with lots of examples of the strengths and weaknesses of
working class language.  

There were criticisms from feminists that it equated working class culture
with male working class culture and these complaints are substantially
correct.  There were follow up studies on girls to correct this.

I wonder what Willis would find now when the work has largely vanished and
the class cannot quite foreground "shagging" and boozing to romanticise the
fact that they have no alternative to labouring.

Regards

Gary
g.maclennan
school of media & journalism
qut




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