Education - Marxism

Question 1

dxWhat was Althusser’s view?

Answer 1

-Wrote about problems with state education
-RSA - Repressive state apparatus, makes you conform by force (police/law etc)
-ISA - Ideological state apparatus, conform by belief and values (religion etc)
-Reproducing and legitimating class inequality

Question 2

What was Bowles and Gintis’s view?

Answer 2

We learn to mold ourselves to be the perfect individual for exploitation by capitalism in the future
-Social reproduction - Education prepares w/c to accept roles in society
-Myth of Meritocracy - not all individuals are given equal opportunities

Question 3

What is a critism for Bowles and Gintis’s view?

Answer 3

Functionalists argue that education is equal for all

Question 4

What was Bourdieu’s view?

Answer 4

Cultural capital - The knowledge, values, attitudes, language, taste and abilities that m/c Transmits to their children.
-M/c students have an unfair advantage as they have higher cultural capital
-Fault of w/c failure is education system, NOT w/c background

Question 5

What was Boudon’s view

Answer 5

Cost of persistence - The cost of prioritising higher education. Having to leave friends and family behind for education when your friends are earning money, can persuade w/c individual to discontinue with their further education.

Question 6

What was Paul Willis’s (neomarxist) view?

Answer 6

Did a study on 12 boys in school. Observed them for 18 months through school and workforce. The ‘lads’ felt superior to the teachers and ‘conforming’ peers. They didn’t put in effort, broke rules and dropped out of school. They later went to manual work. Didn’t believe in further study and valued independence.

Question 7

What was a critism of Paul Willis’s study?

Answer 7

Students get punished for breaking rules. Detentions are given out and further actions are made.

Question 8

What is the evaluation of marxism?

Answer 8

Education was constructed to keep the Bourgeoisie in charge and above Proletariat. Students are most of the time controlled by force or are manipulated into keeping these ideologies going. The educational system never favours the w/c and strives to fail them and not help to teach them get better. M/c will always have an unfair advantage to keep r/c in power

Question 9

What are the key concepts of Marxism in education?

Answer 9

RSA
ISA
Cultural capital
Cost of persistence
Reproducing and legitimating
Myth of Meritocracy
Neo-Marxism