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A-Level Sociology - Education > Marxism > Flashcards

Flashcards in Marxism Deck (26)
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1
Q

What type of theory is it?

A

A conflict, structuralist, modernist macro theory.

2
Q

Who dominates capitalist societies?

A

The wealthy ruling class - they own the means of production.

3
Q

What is the means of production?

A

The things needed to produce objects - land, capital, labour power.

4
Q

What is the economic base?

A

The means and relations of production.

5
Q

What does the ruling class’ wealth enable them to do?

A

Dominate the non-economic parts of society - it’s superstructure.

6
Q

What does the superstructure do?

A

It serves the needs of the ruling class.

7
Q

What are the two main functions of the education system?

A
  1. Reproduces social inequalities in society.

2. Legitimates inequalities through myth of meritocracy.

8
Q

What is the myth of meritocracy?

A

People are persuaded that their role reflects their ability when they actually reflect class background.

9
Q

What Louis Althusser (1971) state about the education system?

A

Education is an ideological state apparatus (ISA).

10
Q

What does this ISA do?

A

Althusser says that education maintains, legitimates, and reproduces class inequalities in wealth by transmitting capitalist values disguised as common ones.

11
Q

What type of capitalist values does the system transmit? (Althusser)

A

Pupils are encouraged to accept private enterprise and individual competition without question - this benefits the ruling class more than everybody.

12
Q

What does ideology do? (Althusser)

A

The conditions needed for capitalism are reproduced without using overt force.
Ideology exerts influence subtly and subconsciously - not seen as oppressive.

13
Q

What does Bourdieu (1977) say about the system and the working class?

A

He says the system dupes the working classes into accepting their failure and that limited social mobility are justified.

14
Q

Which culture does Bourdieu say the education system values more?

A

Middle class culture. Working class attributes are rejected so the mc succeed by default.

15
Q

What does Bourdieu mean by “cultural capital”?

A

MC have have greater cultural capital as their cultural assets are seen as more worthy of investment and rewarf.

16
Q

What is the “symbolic violence” that Bourdieu refers to?

A

MC culture is reproduced and given higher status than wc culture.
This is symbolic violence against the working class.

17
Q

What do Bowles and Gintis’ Correspondence theory state (1976)?

A

Education is controlled by the capitalists:

Education corresponds with employment as schooling prepares children to work in capitalist businesses.

18
Q

What point is the correspondence principle trying to make?

A

Education breeds the future workforce to be docile, obedient and hardworking to support capitalist interests.

19
Q

What is it that prepares the workforce?

A

The hidden curriculum.

20
Q

What does the hidden curriculum teach?

A
  • Acceptance of hierarchies.
  • Conformist pupils do better and those who challenge authority are punished.
  • Students become motivated by external rewards (wage).
21
Q

What criticism may feminists pose?

A

Marxists over-emphasise class inequalities and pay little attention to gender or ethnicity.

22
Q

How does Brown (1997) criticise correspondence theory?

A

Much work nowadays requires teamwork, rather than obedience of authority.

23
Q

What is Reynolds (1984) criticism from critical thinking?

A

He says that some subjects at school actually promote critical thinking - students are not just passive vessels.

24
Q

How does Willis demonstrate that the hidden curriculum is not always accepted?

A

In his Learning to Labour study, he followed a group of “lads” who rejected the norms and values of the school.

25
Q

How have neo-Marxists criticised the idea that education is controlled by the ruling class?

A

They say that the ruling class have a lot of power, but not all of it - there are elected LEAs who can move to the beat of their own drum (GLC).

26
Q

Why might Marxists approaches not be representative?

A

They are dated.

- Bowles and Gintis was a study in 1970s America - is this applicable to 21st century Britain?