In What Sense Is 'Class' Still a Useful Concept?

In 1993 in Australia, a 7-year qualitative, longitudinal study called the 12 to 18 Project was begun to study young people and the development of their gendered identity, as well as schooling's contribution to social inequalities. This paper considers in what sense "class" is a useful concept in pursuing the questions the study started with, and in the design, methodology, interpretation, and reporting of such a study. The paper presents a historical overview of the idea of "social class," describes the 12 to 18 Project, and delineates some of the interviews with the Project's participants. It suggests some of the questions the researchers found interesting both about young people in school today and what is happening to them, and about literature on class and where its contribution and problems lie. (Contains 6 notes and 20 references.) (BT)