f needs and the reproduction of human life. (p.2)
With respect to the theoretical component of the study, Willis (1977) concludes that the working class culture contains a covert element of "self-damnation," masquerading as a valuing of certain ethics, beliefs, and standards about manual labor. This element is said to foster the taking on of subordinate societal roles. The presented theoretical perspective is then used to make a series of recommendations for vocational guidance counselors as to how to work with young working-class men.
The first, and one of the most striking features of the book, is that its' sentences tend to be a little lengthy and quite abstract in nature. There is almost never an attempt to tie down often used key terms (e.g., counter-culture, working class, authority) to any concrete, operational definitions---a fact that makes the book a difficult read for the mind that desires research narrative to be at least moderately connected to the observances that are assumed to be giving rise to the various concepts and constructs that are being discussed.
Most of what is done is that Willis (1977) will present a conceptual delineation of an observed cultural process influencing the decision to take a working class job and support it with a few comments from some of the boys who were studied. However, it is not always easy to understand exactly how these concrete remarks are connected to the far-reaching and broad delineations of cultural processes Willis' (1977) is describing. This failure to tie constructs and concepts to specific technical details in rambling communications of sample subjects makes it difficult to place confidence in many of Willis' notions.
On the other hand, when assertions are made that go somewhat beyond the study that was conducted, these are almost always supported with plentiful citations, most of which are taken from reputable journal articles. In this sense the research i...