ABSTRACT

Young women and girls bring to school particular perspectives derived from their experiences of class, ethnicity and race. While there are some dimensions of life that many girls and young women experience in common, there is a danger in assuming on the basis of feminist theory that there are ‘essential’ experiences that all women share. As Yates points out, there are potential conflicts to be considered that may occur for women, between class, sex and ethnicity (Yates, 1987, p. 12). Strategies for change need to relate to the circumstances of specific groups of young women and girls. Wenner and Tsolidis in this volume (see Chapters 5 and 3 respectively) support this view, focusing on the way cultural background affects many aspects of girls’ experiences of education and the decisions they make regarding their futures.