Exploring the relationship between class, sexuality and social exclusion, this is an original study of women who identify themselves as working-class and lesbian, highlighting the significance of class and sexuality in their biographies, everyday lives and identities. It provides insight into the experiences of self-identified working-class lesbians and offers a timely critique of queer theory and an empirical interrogation of the embodied, spatial and material intersection of class and sexuality.
Author(s): Yvette Taylor
Edition: First Edition
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 256
Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 10
1 Reviewing the Literature: An Introduction......Page 12
Class in a new/cold climate......Page 15
Identify yourself......Page 17
What you see is what you get? Defining class......Page 20
A certain class of woman......Page 21
Buying in to the in crowd......Page 24
Moving on?......Page 25
Fixed smiles, emotional labour......Page 28
Opening the map – introducing space......Page 31
Shelf space and sexual geography......Page 32
Clear visibility/queer viability......Page 33
Written on the body......Page 34
Everyday space, everyday experiences......Page 36
Home is where the heart is?......Page 38
Black sheep of the family......Page 39
What have I started?......Page 41
Double jeopardy: theorising class and sexuality......Page 42
Struggling to get out of the starting blocks: the beginning......Page 43
2 Class and How to Get It......Page 48
Heinz 57 – the variety of class......Page 50
We all stand together?......Page 55
Working-class work horse......Page 58
Have you got any ID?......Page 60
Looking up?......Page 62
Not with a barge pole: avoidance of the middle-class......Page 64
Moving on but staying put......Page 66
Somewhat better than the rest?......Page 67
Out-classed?......Page 70
3 Close Encounters of the Classed Kind......Page 74
My old man's a dustman…......Page 75
Jury of your peers......Page 82
The best days of their lives?......Page 85
'Periods, poofs and pregnancy': sexuality in education......Page 88
Have you thought about factory work?......Page 94
4 What Now?......Page 99
And what would you like to be when you grow up?......Page 102
Jobs for the boys (and girls?)......Page 110
Sign on and fall out......Page 113
Water cooler sexuality......Page 118
5 Negotiation and Navigation: Emotional Maps......Page 126
Sexuality, class and geography......Page 129
Negotiating the ladder......Page 134
The means and the motivation......Page 135
The homing instinct?......Page 138
Defence and demarcation......Page 141
Pride and prejudice......Page 144
6 Scene Spaces – Inclusions and Exclusions......Page 149
Read my label......Page 153
Have you got the balls?......Page 160
Turf wars......Page 162
7 Ties That Bind......Page 165
The dark end of the street......Page 168
Coming-out – a class act?......Page 171
Friends like these......Page 175
Call yourself working-class?......Page 179
Common ground (but not too common)......Page 182
Keeping up with Ms Jones......Page 187
Knocking-Off: Conclusion......Page 193
Appendix......Page 200
Notes......Page 208
Bibliography......Page 214
E......Page 228
L......Page 229
S......Page 230
Z......Page 231
