Marxism

• Marxism key points:

  • Education prepares children to work for the bourgeoise.
  • Education justifies inequality
  • Education passes on ruling class ideology.
• Althusser:

  • Sees eduction as a part of the ideological state apparatus.
  • It helps maintain the rule of bourgeoise by controlling peoples beliefs and passing on their ideology.
  • Education reproduces an obedient workforce.
• Althusser - Evaluation:

  • Over-socialised view, not everyone is obedient.
  • Too critical of education
  • Ideology hasn’t worked because we are aware of it.
  • Individuals still have choice on what to do and study.
• Bowles and Gintis (1976):

  • Close link between schools and work, there is a correspondence between experiences.
  • The hidden curriculum prepares us for work.
  • Meritocracy is an ideological myth.
• Bowles and Gintis - Evaluation:

  • Many skills are learnt outside of school.
  • School doesn’t actually teach people how to work, e.g. people can’t make phone calls.
  • Learnt skills at school are useful for life. E.G. public speaking.
• Willis (1977):

  • Says education doesn’t turn out an obedient workforce.
  • ‘Lads’ reject indoctrination and idea they can achieve middle class jobs.
  • Believe they are destined for unskilled work.
• Bourdieu: Only middle class have the available culture capital to reproduce the self’s into the top positions. Education isn’t meritocratic as the working class do not gain the same skill set.
• Similarities with functionalism:

  • Both focus on macro level and ignore social interaction, both believe education has a huge impact on the individual.
  • Both believe there is a close link with the economy.
• Differences with functionalism:

  • Marxists believe that education helps legitimise and maintain inequality whereas functionalists say education is more open and equal.
• Feminism alternate view:

  • Females are absent from willis’ study.
  • Girls do well in most subjects
  • More male headteachers
  • Bulling- Boys will be boys
• Post-modern perspective:

  • Education creates diversity not inequality
• Illich Alternative perspective:

  • Deschool society- allow lifelong learning
  • Allows people to educate themselves whenever they want to.
  • People however could be put off of school.
• Morrow and Carlos (1998):

  • Marxists focus too much on class inequality, should instead look at ethnicity and gender.
  • However, statistically, Poorer people get less qualifications.