Based primarily on ethnographic data, "Working Class without Work" examines the identity formation process among white working-class youth in the context of the de-industrialization of the American economy. The elimination of many basic production jobs and the expansion of the service sector have changed the expectations and opportunities of the white working class. Weis documents the way in which these young people respond to such changes, and the way they help to create the conditions of their future lives. In the process, she explores issues of race, class, gender and considers the roles of school and family in the production of self.