Key Study: Willis Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

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Who carried out the Key Study Learning to Labour and when was it published?

Paul Willis, in 1977.

What was Willis trying to find out in his study?

How working-class boys see school and work, and why many end up in manual jobs.

Who were the lads in Willis’s study?

A small group of 12 working-class boys in a British secondary school.

Which research methods did Willis use?

Participant observation and unstructured interviews.

What does counter-school culture mean in Willis’s study?

A group culture that rejects school rules and values like hard work and obedience.

What did the lads value at school?

Having a laugh, being tough, and doing as they pleased, not doing schoolwork.

What did the lads call pupils who followed school rules?

They called them ear'oles and mocked them.

What is shop-floor culture in Willis’s findings?

The ways of factory and manual work, where banter and toughness are valued.

How did the lads’ culture affect their jobs after school?

It fitted shop-floor culture, so many went into low-paid manual work like their fathers.

What was Willis’s main conclusion about class?

The lads resisted school, but their choices still helped to reproduce class inequality.

What is one strength of Willis’s study?

He spent time with the lads, giving rich and valid insight into their views.

What is one weakness of Willis’s study?

It used a small, male-only sample from one school, so it is hard to generalise.