Key Terms Marxism

• Ruling class Ideology

  the ruling class are the class who own the means of production in a given society and apply their cultural hegemony to determine and establish the dominant ideology (ideas, culture, mores, norms, traditions) of the society. They are also called the bourgeoisie.
• Legitimacy of inequality

  legitimation reinforces the advantaged position of dominant groups while reducing resistance—and sometimes promoting the acceptance—of non-dominant groups for occu- pying a disadvantaged position in the group hierarchy.
• Habitus

  is the way that people perceive and respond to the social world they inhabit, by way of their personal habits, skills, and disposition of character.
• Cultural Capital

  comprises the social assets of a person (education, intellect, style of speech, style of dress, etc.) that promote social mobility in a stratified society.
• False consciousness

  way of thinking that prevents a person from perceiving the true nature of their social or economic situation.
• Long shadow of work

  The reason schools act in this way is because they work directly in the interests of the capitalist system and the ruling class and their principle purpose is to produce the workforce.
• Ideological State Apparatus

  consist of institutions such as the media, the education system and religion. These work gradually to shape and maintain the way people think so that there is a reduced need for physical means of oppression.
• Subservient Workforce

  fueled with passive and uncritical workers, who willingly and unquestioningly accept what functions they are told to perform.
• Acceptance of hierarchy

  a system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.
• Hidden Curriculum

  is a set of lessons "which are learned but not openly intended" to be taught in school such as the norms, values, and beliefs conveyed in both the classroom and social environment
• Myth of Meritocracy

  is a phrase arguing that meritocracy, or achieving upward social mobility through one's own merits regardless of one's social position, is not widely attainable in capitalist societies because of inherent contradictions.
• Anti- School Subculture

  students who don't agree with the values, norms, rules, and ethos of the school. They often develop negative attitudes towards teachers, and they display rebellious and disruptive behaviour.