DOI•
Learning to Labour: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs
01 Dec 2011-Iss: 32, pp 5-8
About: The article was published on 2011-12-01 and is currently open access. It has received 1252 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Working class.
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01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the experiences of mentees and mentors in a new mentoring program for female students at a two-year public commuter college in the Southeast and found that the need these students had for information, guidance, connection, and encouragement.
Abstract: This is an intrinsic qualitative case study dissertation that examined the experiences of mentees and mentors in a new mentoring program for female students at a two-year public commuter college in the Southeast. The methodologies of interviews, observations, and document analysis are used to chronicle what mentees and mentors experienced as participants in this mentoring program. Mattering and marginality theory is the theoretical framework used to understand and relate the experiences of students and mentors in this new mentoring program. The additional theories of self-efficacy, career decision-making, and motivation were used to explain student challenges and outcomes from the mentoring experience. The philosophical worldview of realistic-constructivism guided the design and implementation of the study. With retention of major concern to all institutions, but especially public, two-year colleges, coupled with the recent shift to performance funding, finding low-cost interventions to help students persist is crucial to both student success and the health of higher education institutions. This dissertation sought to reveal and understand the experiences of female mentees and mentors in this new mentoring program, as well as to expand the literature on mentoring programs and mattering and marginality theory. Results revealed the need these students had for information, guidance, connection, and encouragement. Interviews with the participants highlighted the great importance of students feeling like they matter to someone at the institution and the power of encouragement on persistence. They also showed the damage that can be done when mentors are not sincere in taking on the mentoring role. Of interest was how much mentoring meant to the mentees and how mattering theory applied to the experiences of the mentors, as well as the mentees. Motivational, self-efficacy, and career decision-making theories were also applicable in reviewing what the mentees needed, received, and how they benefited. The findings of this study have assisted in the evaluation and planning of the mentor program under study and may be of assistance to other institutions wishing to start or improve upon similar programs. It expands further what we know about mattering and the effects of mentoring on student success and retention. It questions how to best structure mentoring programs for particular institutions and student populations. It is clear that much research is still needed, both qualitative and quantitative, to better understand what takes place in mentoring experiences. Key words: career-decision making self-efficacy, case study, community college, self-efficacy, mattering, mentor, mentoring, mentee, motivation, retention
22 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the results of a year-long ethnographic study of 13 coloured, working class, high school boys aged 14-17 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were presented.
Abstract: This article presents the results of a year-long ethnographic study of 13 ‘Coloured’, working class, high school boys aged 14–17 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data derived using participant observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Social constructionist perspectives were used as a basis for discourse analysis. An interrogation of participant accounts illustrated the contradictory and ambiguous nature of their heterosexual identities. The findings suggest the simultaneous performance of crude, misogynistic masculinities, and more loving and respectful attitudes towards women and girls. The alternate discursive positions show potential for more equitable gender relationships to be encouraged in historically disadvantaged teenage boys.
22 citations
Cites result from "Learning to Labour: How Working Cla..."
...The findings of this study resonate quite considerably with other research conducted amongst working class boys and men (Barker, 2005; Mac an Ghaill, 1994; Pattman & Bhana, 2006; Ratele et al., 2007; Sewell, 1997; Willis, 1977)....
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01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine processes of identity formation among white, working-class youths in a marginalized area located on the outskirts of South London in order to examine how they identify themselves.
Abstract: The central aim of this study is to examine processes of identity formation among white, working-class youths in a marginalized area located on the outskirts of South London. It is primarily based ...
22 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the variations in the academic trajectories of socio-demographic subgroups of English as a second language (ESL) students (N = 7527) in British Columbia, Canada.
Abstract: This study explores the variations in the academic trajectories of socio-demographic subgroups of English as a second language (ESL) students ( N = 7527) in British Columbia, Canada. Results are compared to a native English speaker baseline ( N = 37,612). Longitudinal data describing the 1997 Grade 8 cohort (i.e., students age 13, typically in their first year of secondary school) were obtained from the British Columbia Ministry of Education. Students are disaggregated by English proficiency, language spoken at home, and socio-economic status to indicate, through cross-tabulations and multivariate regression models, the effects of these variables on graduation and on enrolment and performance in senior-level English and mathematics courses associated with university entrance. Results are interpreted through a framework adapted from Cummins (1997). Ethnocultural background, as proxied by language spoken at home, predicts trajectories robustly; an indicator of socio-economic status only partially attenuates its effects. Background factors such as English proficiency affect different ethnocultural groups differently. The variation under the ESL label and the need to disaggregate data for decision-making purposes are discussed. Resume: La presente etude explore les trajectoires academiques de sous-groupes socio-demographiques d'eleves en anglais langue seconde (ALS) ( N = 7 527) en Colombie-Britannique, Canada. Les resultats sont compares a ceux d'un groupe de reference compose d'eleves anglophones ( N = 37 612). Les donnees longitudinales de la cohorte de 8e annee de 1997 (etudiants de 13 ans generalement en premiere secondaire) ont ete obtenues du ministere de l'Education de la Colombie-Britannique. Les eleves ont ete regroupes en fonction de leur niveau de competence en anglais, de la langue parlee a la maison et de leur statut socio-economique, a l'aide de tableaux croises et de modeles de regression multivariables, l'effet de ces variables sur l'inscription et l'obtention du diplome, et les resultats des cours d'anglais et de mathematiques de niveau superieur requis pour l'entree a l'universite. Les resultats sont interpretes dans le contexte d'un cadre adapte de Cummins (1997). Les antecedents ethnoculturels, representes par la langue parlee a la maison, predisent une trajectoire plus robuste. Un indicateur de statut socio-economique n'en attenue que partiellement les effets. Des facteurs de base comme la competence en anglais touchent differemment les groupes ethnoculturels. Les variations en matiere d'anglais langue seconde et le besoin de separer les donnees obtenues aux fins du processus decisionnel font l'objet de discussion.
22 citations
Cites background from "Learning to Labour: How Working Cla..."
...Gunderson quotes a Vietnamese girl who echoes Willis (1977) or Ogbu (1992): Even if you do really well you just get an ordinary job . . ....
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TL;DR: This paper examined how men workers negotiate the doing of factory jobs conventionally considered as those suited for young women and defend their masculinity in harsh and contested organizational environments based on an interactionist approach.
Abstract: Based on an interactionist approach, this article examines how men workers negotiate the doing of factory jobs conventionally considered as those suited for young women and defend their masculinity in harsh and contested organizational environments. Data collected during a 15-month-long ethnography of a large global factory in South China reveal that in an oppressive institutional setting that involves coercive management, devaluation of men labor, and the lack of a family wage, men workers defend their masculinity through offensive language, flirting and sexual harassment, as well as physical violence. In doing so, they develop a rebellious identity, diaomao, both to address themselves and to curse others, as a way to resist their low status, reconstruct their own understanding of the power hierarchy, and consequently, defend their deprived masculinities. This article asserts the critical role of daily interpersonal interaction in gender practices as well as in labor process.
22 citations
Cites background from "Learning to Labour: How Working Cla..."
...Studies on working-class men have shown that hard labor in factories proves male toughness (Willis 1977; Donaldson 1991)....
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References
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01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: The concept of community of practice was not born in the systems theory tradition as discussed by the authors, but it has its roots in attempts to develop accounts of the social nature of human learning inspired by anthropology and social theory.
Abstract: The concept of community of practice was not born in the systems theory tradition. It has its roots in attempts to develop accounts of the social nature of human learning inspired by anthropology and social theory (Lave, 1988; Bourdieu, 1977; Giddens, 1984; Foucault, 1980; Vygotsky, 1978). But the concept of community of practice is well aligned with the perspective of systems traditions. A community of practice itself can be viewed as a simple social system. And a complex social system can be viewed as constituted by interrelated communities of practice. In this essay I first explore the systemic nature of the concept at these two levels. Then I use this foundation to look at the applications of the concept, some of its main critiques, and its potential for developing a social discipline of learning.
1,082 citations
Book•
27 Jun 2011
TL;DR: In this article, the Flatlands of Oakland and the Youth Control Complex are discussed. But the focus is on the role of black youth in the criminal justice system and community institutions.
Abstract: Preface Acknowledgments Part I Hypercriminalization 1 Dreams Deferred: The Patterns of Punishment in Oakland 2 The Flatlands of Oakland and the Youth Control Complex 3 The Labeling Hype: Coming of Age in the Era of Mass Incarceration 4 The Coupling of Criminal Justice and Community Institutions Part II Consequences 5 "Dummy Smart": Misrecognition, Acting Out, and "Going Dumb" 6 Proving Manhood: Masculinity as a Rehabilitative Tool 7 Guilty by Association: Acting White or Acting Lawful? Conclusion: Toward a Youth Support Complex Appendix: Beyond Jungle-Book Tropes Notes References Index About the Author
909 citations
TL;DR: The authors examines the transition to adulthood among 1.5-generation undocumented Latino young adults and finds that for them, the transition from K to adulthood involves exiting the legally protected status of K to...
Abstract: This article examines the transition to adulthood among 1.5-generation undocumented Latino young adults. For them, the transition to adulthood involves exiting the legally protected status of K to ...
663 citations
TL;DR: In this article, student engagement research, policy, and practice must become more nuanced and less formulaic, and the ensuing review is structured accordingly, guided in part by social-ecological analysis and social-cultural theory.
Abstract: Student engagement research, policy, and practice are even more important in today’s race-to-the top policy environment. With a priority goal of postsecondary completion with advanced competence, today’s students must be engaged longer and more deeply. This need is especially salient for students attending schools located in segregated, high-poverty neighborhoods and isolated rural communities. Here, engagement research, policy, and practice must become more nuanced and less formulaic, and the ensuing review is structured accordingly. Guided in part by social-ecological analysis and social-cultural theory, engagement is conceptualized as a dynamic system of social and psychological constructs as well as a synergistic process. This conceptualization invites researchers, policymakers, and school-community leaders to develop improvement models that provide a more expansive, engagement-focused reach into students’ family, peer, and neighborhood ecologies.
528 citations
TL;DR: The Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study (LISA) as discussed by the authors used a mixed-methods approach, combining longitudinal, interdisciplinary, qualitative, and quantitative approaches to document adaptation patterns of 407 recently arrived immigrant youth from Central America, China, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico over the course of five years.
Abstract: Background/Context: Newcomer immigrant students are entering schools in the United States in unprecedented numbers. As they enter new school contexts, they face a number of challenges in their adjustment. Previous literature suggested that relationships in school play a particularly crucial role in promoting socially competent behavior in the classroom and in fostering academic engagement and school performance. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the role of school-based relationships in engagement and achievement in a population of newcomer immigrant students. Research Design: The Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study (LISA) used a mixed-methods approach, combining longitudinal, interdisciplinary, qualitative, and quantitative approaches to document adaptation patterns of 407 recently arrived immigrant youth from Central America, China, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico over the course of five years. Based on data from the last year of the study, we examine how the role of relationships mediates newcomers’ challenges with academic engagement and performance. We identify factors that account for patterns of academic engagement and achievement, including country of origin, gender, maternal education, English language proficiency, and school-based relationships. Findings: Multiple regression analyses suggest that supportive school-based relationships strongly contribute to both the academic engagement and the school performance of the par
356 citations