The role of education - Marxism

Question 1

What are the two functions althusser states about education

Answer 1

Reproduces - Education reproduces class inequality by failing each generation of working class pupils and not giving them cultural capital
Legitimises - Education convinces people that inequality is inevitable (telling people they don’t have the means to succeed) and failure is due to the individual and not capitalism

Question 2

What do bowles and gintis say the role of education is

Answer 2

schools create the new generation of workers to serve the capitalist system
This is done through the hidden curriculum
Meritocracy is a myth

Question 3

What is the correspondence principle (bowles and gintis) and give examples

Answer 3

Where schools mirror the workplace in order to create an obedient workforce e.g hierarchy in school with teachers vs work with bosses , competition in school with grades vs work with promotion

Question 4

What is meant by the myth of meritocracy (bowles and gintis)

Answer 4

success is based on class background and not ability and so equal opportunity doesn’t exist in education
Bourdieu- would argue that u/c pupils have a certain habitus compared to w/c pupils and so have more cultural capital = more opportunity