Quote for the Week

Ages since I’ve done a quote for the week, so here goes. Anyone remember Paul Willis? Here’s something from him.

” The difficult thing to explain about how middle class kids get middle class jobs is why others let them. The difficult thing to explain about how working class kids get working class jobs is why they let themselves.”

Paul Willis, Learning to Labour, Saxon House, 1977, p1.

Fascinating stuff. Consider though - is it really difficult to explain these two points? What explanations have sociologists offered for class differences in education? And what about that curious point about the ability to choose - is it really true that working class kids in effect, ‘let themselves fail’? Do you think that is what Willis is saying? Discuss. Think.