Topic 1 - Marxism

Question 1

What is the Marxist theory of education?

Answer 1

• The main role of education is to produce an efficient, submissive, obedient workforce to help maintain the capitalist society
• Education is an ideological tool that controls the working class
• Education will only be fair once the working class revolts with communism replacing capitalism
• The two main features of education in a capitalist society; reproduces inequalities and social relations of production in a capitalist society, ruling class taught to do ruling class jobs whilst working class taught to be working class jobs and legitimizes inequality through myth of meritocracy-jobs largely reflect their social class

Question 2

What is the ideological state apparatuses?

Answer 2

• Ideology by Althusser
• Argues that the working class are controlled by the ruling class through two types of apparatus
• Repressive state apparatus; physical control through institutions such as the justice system and military
• Ideological state apparatus; control over the way that the working class think, passing on the dominant ideology, this is done through institutions such as the family, religion and education where the ruling class pass on their beliefs

Question 3

What are Bowles and Gintis view?

Answer 3

• Children are taught more than they need to know for most jobs making them over educated, maintaining a high rate of unemployment which helps control the workforce
• The working class become scared of losing their jobs and being replaced, meaning they are willing to work for low wages and less likely to strike

Question 4

What is the hidden curriculum?

Answer 4

• Bowles and Gintis believe that the ruling class are able to manipulate the working class through the hidden curriculum
• The hidden curriculum teaches the working class the values needed within employment; subservience, motivation and hierarchy

Question 5

What is the neo-marxist view on education?

Answer 5

• Schools-sites of ideological struggle by different classes and by different ethnic, religious and cultural groups striving to ensure education provides the things they wish for
• They actively shape their own education and sometimes resist the discipline imposed on them by the school

Question 6

What are the criticisms of Bowles and Gintis?

Answer 6

• It can be argued that not everyone passively accepts the rules, regulations and ideology that the education system passes on