Marxism-Perspective on Education

Question 1

Marxism

Answer 1

• Class conflict view - Education serves needs of capitalism

* Education is an ideological state apparatus-> reproducing class inequality -> through myth of meritocracy.

Question 2

Capitalist class & Working class

Answer 2

Capitalist class (Bourgeoisie) are the minority - the employers owning means of production (machinery,land) -> profit through exploiting labour of proletariat (WC)

Working class - forced to sell labour to capitalist due to no other source of income -> worker have no control -> work is poorly paid.

Question 3

Althusser: the ideological state apparatus

Answer 3

Ruling class maintain dominance through education:2 apparatus’

• Repressive state apparatus include (Police,Courts and Army)-> physical force to repress WC.
• ISA - controlling people’s ideas,beliefs and values -> through ways such as (Media,Religion and Education)

Question 4

Althusser: Education

Answer 4

It performs two functions:

• Education reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from generation to generation -> failing WC pupils in turn
• Education justifies class inequality - producing ideologies that disguises persuasion of workers to accept inequality is inevitable -> if they accept -> less likely to challenge capitalism.

Question 5

Bowles & Gintis

Answer 5

Capitalism requires obedient work force willing to accept exploitation. -> Education reproduces obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable. -> Schools reward characteristics of submissive & obedient worker.

High grades gained by submissive and punctual
Low grades gained by independent and creativity

Question 6

Bowles and Gintis: Correspondence

Answer 6

Schooling and society both are hierarchies with authority held at the top and individual at the bottom obeying (WORK, SCHOOL) = ‘correspondence principal ‘

-operates through hidden curriculum -> pupils accustomed to accept hierarchy -> school prepares WC for their role as exploited workers.

Question 7

The myth of meritocracy: justification of class inequality

Answer 7

Education system prevents revolution/rebel against system
-Education promotes the myth of meritocracy -> Parsons,Bowles and Gintis agree Meritocracy does NOT exist.

-myth of meritocracy JUSTIFIES privileges of higher classes -> making it SEEM that they gained success through FAIR competition -> PERSUADES WC to accept inequalities as LEGITIMATE.

Question 8

Evaluation of Marxist Approaches

Answer 8

-useful in exposing ‘myth of meritocracy’. Education plays role of ISA -> reproducing class inequalities.

• Critical modernists criticise Marxists for ‘class first’ approach ignoring all other aspects such as ethnicity and gender.
• Feminists argue Marxist ignores reproduction of patriarchy (Willis study lacked females)