The social ideology that gave rise to the Reading University Extension College in 1892 eroded as the college became more conventional and lost touch with the working class people it was designed to reach. (SK)

The divergent views of poor and working-class African-American and White men regarding the causes of their current condition are presented. Different "biographies of race" encourage African-American men to blame the economy and racism but White men to blame Black males for the economic plight of White men. The ways in which the two…

Interviews about educational experiences and needs with 36 British working-class fathers were used to develop family "taster" courses in bricklaying, woodworking, and computers, offered at times and locations that enabled joint activities with children. Course participants welcomed the opportunity to share existing skills and develop new…

Interviews with striking sheet metal workers explored working class men's nonparticipation in continuing education. Key issues included the unpredictability of their working patterns and lives, employers' failure to accept continuing training as part of the workplace contract, and lack of access to free, comprehensive vocational guidance. (SK)

Explores the concept of dialectical contradictions as it relates to individual understandings of intergroup relations in the United States. Details the ways that working class white youth and adults in a Philadelphia neighborhood with many Polish immigrants combine contradictory experience and ideology in their behavior and beliefs about…

Interviews with 14 working-class women reentering education in Britain revealed common experiences of intimidation and inferiority. Although access programs aim to empower, their location in institutions based on racist, sexist, and classist traditions position such nontraditional students as illegitimate and inferior. (Contains 37 references.)…

Construction of male gender identity must be considered in relation to reforms in state schooling, restructured labor markets, the rise of diverse family forms, and media representations of masculinity. Despite the backlash against feminism and equal employment opportunity efforts, social class must remain part of the analysis. (SK)

A project to improve access to higher education for working-class Scottish adults illustrates the need to address individual ability and attitude as well as institutional and situational barriers to participation. A balance of the structural and the individual is needed to challenge inequality and promote social inclusion. (SK)

Suggests that an examination of rhetorical practices at the local bar is instructive: (1) the barroom is predictably different from the university writing classroom; and (2) the barroom is surprisingly similar to the university writing classroom. Shows that the rhetoric that is valued most highly in today's writing classroom operates differently…

Discusses the life and work of Marian Wharton, a socialist and feminist who helped shape the English curriculum at the People's College in Fort Scott, Kansas. Develops a rich, historical-situated conception of how the rhetorical activities of women and other marginalized people are a complex interweaving of alliance and antagonism, of free choice…

A study of young white British men beyond school-leaving age found that many are confused, distrusting, and aggressive; are involved with drugs or crime; are resistant to the "deficiency" model of basic skills training; lack a life framework and real work skills; and come from family backgrounds with long-term negative attitudes about…

This study examined the effects of organisational learning initiatives on employee motivation. Four initiatives consistent with theories of organisational learning were a priori ranked in terms of concepts that underpin intrinsic-motivation theory. Eighteen employees in a UK petrochemical company were interviewed to ascertain their experiences of…

This article brings to our attention the intricacies and possibilities of teaching and learning in post-apartheid public schools of South Africa. My argument moves from the premise that if the South African school system is meant to build a democratic nation, then it must reflect the democratic objectives of the nation. Research (e.g. Chisholm,…

There has been a growing movement toward expanding biomedical psychiatric models focused on individual psychopathology using contextually-sensitive, socio-politically informed, ecological approaches, and resilience and recovery perspectives emphasizing individuals' rights to access the necessary resources to resume life pursuits (e.g. education)…

Class strategies, how individual members of class fractions tactically gain advantage in fields including education, have been used to analyse schooling and initial post-compulsory education. In this paper, class strategies are applied to adult education in considering participation across social classes. Using empirical data from a biographical…