Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

This is a qualitative data collection.

This study explores the ways that young people make sense of the representations of work and workers in television drama, how they use these to construct identities as future workers and how class, gender and ethnicity intersect with these processes. In particular, the researchers were interested to see whether the characters and narratives of television drama could provide the kind of connection and knowledge necessary for young people to make non-traditional choices. The research questions were:

• how do young people read the narratives of work and workers in television drama?
• how do these readings intersect with their identity work?
• how are these processes of reading and identity work classed, raced and gendered?

Participants were students in Year 10 (14-15 year olds) and Year 11 (15-16 year olds) at three mixed comprehensive schools: one in London, one in another urban area in the Midlands and one in a rural area in the South East of England.

Further information, including key findings, can be found on the Institute for Policy Studies in Education project web page.

Main Topics:

The main topics include:

• television viewing
• career aspirations and choices
• identity, gender, class and identity