This chapter examines the attitudes of students on a building-trades course to explore the interacting ideas of engagement, gender identity, and experience. The house building course integrated several high school technological subjects with English. Students granted interviews and allowed access to their journals, written as part of their English credit. Particular attention is paid to the lived experiences of the 4 women among 20 men in the class. Three themes emerged from the females' experiences. A primary concern of the women was interpersonal relationships, evidenced by more frequent journal writing, defining their roles in terms of their relationships with others, and their perceptions of their ability to make positive contributions to the class. The second theme was self-esteem. Journal entries showed that the women were greatly concerned about what others thought of their skills. Women exhibited low self-esteem and tended to think of themselves as lacking in capabilities. The third theme was sexism and harassment, which was both subtle and overt, and often in the form of "good natured fun." The primary concern for males was the ability to do the job; other concerns were addressed in the context of getting the job done. These findings raise questions about how curriculum could be redesigned to accommodate the learning perspectives and needs of women. A broader discussion then focuses on the tensions between utilitarian education that emphasizes work preparation, and education for personal development that questions the legitimacy of prevailing social roles. Contains 28 references. (TD)