sociology (theories of education)

• marxism: society is based on class division and exploitation, keeping the rich rich and the poor poor.
• education reproduces class inequality
• althusser believes the state has 2 elements which keep them in power. the ideological state apparatus and the repressive state apparatus
• the repressive state apparatus is using state force to repress the working class such as the police; courts and army.
• the ideological state apparatus is the way that the state controls peoples ideas, beliefs and values through religion, mass media and education.
• schools are an example of the ideological state apparatus because they teach children how to be good citizens by teaching them about british history and culture.
• the education system performs two functions as an ideological state apparatus, reproduction and legitimisation
• the education reproduces class inequality so each generation of working class students end up getting the same jobs as their parents
• education justifies class inequality by producing ideas/beliefs. Made people believe that inequality is inevitable and people failing is their fault, not the states
• reproduction theory says that schools reproduce social inequality by sorting pupils into different groups based on ability which leads to unequal opportunities later in life
• Bowles and Gintis say education makes students obedient and submissive individuals for the work place ready to to accept low pay, hard work and authority
• the correspondence principle is how the structures of education mirror the world of work. (hierarchy, competition, grades and promotions)
• the hidden curriculum, is the unwritten rules and values that are taught to students by the school but integrated into their lessons rather than whole lessons about the subject. (hierarchy, competition, manners, british values)
• the myth of meritocracy is the belief that education reproduces inequality and that educational success is due to class background.
• role allocation is where those who get better grades and conform to societies expectations will do better in life instead of those who do not.
• willis conducted a study of ‘the lads’ a group of 12 boys aged 12-14 as they made the transition school to work (laddish subculture)
• the boys formed an anti-school subculture, breaking the school rules such as smoking, disrupting lessons and truancy. similar to the shop floor of a manual labour workplace. this leads to reproduction of class inequality.
• marketisation and privatisation of state schools means more of a capitalist approach to education
• marxists disagree amongst themselves so their data is not fully reliable or valid.
• postmodernists believe that marxism is outdated as the structure of society is not as simple as it used to be.
• feminists believe that schools reproduce capitalistic ideology and patriarchy
• romanticisation is depicted through willis‘ study of the 12 w/c boys as despite their anti-social behaviour and sexist attitudes, he displays them as w/c heroes