Reading Notes On

Learning To Labor by Paul Willis

 

 

Paul Willis's book attempts two tasks. First, it is an ethnographic account of high school culture, as observed amongst a group that Willis calls the Hammertown Boys. Secondly, Willis puts forth some thoughts and observations towards a theory of understanding the class cultures of the working class kids.

Two main groups emerge in the high school culture, as documented by Willis. First we have the lads, who are the main focus of the study -- they are rebellious and signify the counter school culture. More conservative are the ear'oles, the ones who are attempting towards a future in more academic matters. Through Willis's study of the lads, were see not only the counter culture, but also the culture of the ear'oles, a culture of conformity.

Willis goes into great detail as to the workings of the school system, and the efforts of the teacher to educate the students. He discusses problems and sometimes suggests solutions to common problems. As Willis says in the book, by using the non-conformist, white middle class we can develop a picture of the other facets of the educational culture. He also discusses the parallel between the working class culture of resistance within high school, to a more general culture of resistance to authority. He compares the shop-floor cultures of the lad's parents with the lad's own behavior and draws many similarities.

Money, a matter often overlooked, is of primary importance to the lads. For all their social activities, they require money and this puts upon them a heavy burden to begin working early. Also, the lads feel that they understand society better than the ear'oles. They do not want to give up the experiences they are facing now, for an abstract goal of a better job in the future. They need the money now, and as far as they are concerned all jobs are the same, so what's the point of wasting time in school?

Ironically, the educational experience they have makes them dislike learning, so they avoid jobs where they may have to employ their mental faculties. Thus they become ideally suited for the shop floor job, and think this is best they can do. Thus, there is no upward mobility, of the working class to the middle class. There are individual movements surely, but not a general movement of the class upward. The school system, the thing that is supposed to allow for this upward mobility, is the very thing that prevents it.

In his analysis section, Willis covers aspects like penetration and limitation. This is highlighted by the idea that the lads think they have understood the teaching paradigm. Willis discusses the idea of entrapment, in that the lads imagine they are freely entering the shop floor workplaces, when in fact society has forced them into it. In all, Willis portrays a very interesting view of the role that the school system plays in society.