Marxism and Education

• Marxism


  • it is a conflict theory
  • It is a macro-structural theory
  • Society is divided into two social classes: The Bourgeoisie (ruling class) and The Proletariat (workers)
  • These classes are in conflict as the ruling class only stay in power by exploiting their workers, using different institutions of society to strengthen their position at the top of society.
• Althusser 


  Capitalism is maintained through Repressive State Apparatus and Ideological State Apparatus

  • Education is an ISA with two goals:
  • Reproduction - the next generation of manual workers is created by failing working class students.
  • Legitimization - using things like the myth of meritocracy to blame the individual for their failure instead of the system that is rigged against them.
• Bowles and Gintis

  Researched the correspondence principle - how school prepares students for work by mirroring the workplace through the hidden curriculum

  • Focus on punctuality
  • Assemblies teach value consensus
  • Use of extrinsic motivation

  Success is not based on talent (meritocratic) but is rather a consequence of your class background
• Bourdieu

  Coined the 3 types of capital within society:

  • Cultural capital
  • Economic capital
  • Social capital

  Education leads to cultural reproduction, it rewards the middle class habitus, meaning working class students lack the cultural capital to succeed
• Willis 


  Neo-Marxist who disagreed with Bowles and Gintis - working class students do not passively accept the system, but know they are set up to fail.

  • In 1977 he surveyed 12 boys in one age group observing their anti school subculture - the lads. They thought school was effeminate and aspired to manual labour jobs like their fathers.
  • Ultimately this has the same result as Bowles and Gintis theory as they are still failed by the system
• Marxism Criticisms:


  • It is very deterministic
  • Althusser's ideas are theoretical and have not been tested
  • Postmodernists argue bowles and Gintis argument is outdated, education is now more child focused and diverse
  • The new right argue the correspondence principle may not be as applicable in a modern day labour industry that wants workers to think and problem solve instead of passively follow instructions
  • Functionalists agree education has functions but disagree that these are detrimental to society