1.3 Marxism in education

• What do feminists like Madeleine MacDonald think of the Marxist theory of education?


  It ignores how schools reproduce patriarchy as well as capitalism.
• What are three extra evaluation points on the Marxist view of education?

  1. Morrow + Torres - Marxism has a class first approach

  2. Society is more diverse now - other CAGE factors are equally important

  3. All inequality is inter-related
• What do post modernists say society has become?

  Diverse and fragmented - the economy values flexible specialisation.
• What is Fordism?


  A production, system or labour process element characterised by mass production. Each person does one job.
• What does postmodernism say about the Marxist view on education?

  It's outdated
• How does "the lads" study prove Bowles and Gintis's study wrong?


  The education doesn't produce an obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable as a lot of people don't accept inequality
• According to Althusser, what two reasons is education an ISA?

  Reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from one generation to the next and legitimises class inequality through ideology.
• What is an example of an RSA?

  The police
• What is an example of an ISA?

  The media
• What two apparatuses did Althusser put forward?

  Ideological state apparatuses and repressive state apparatuses
• What was the 12 working class boy's (in Paul Willis's study) attitude to school?

  Find schools boring + pointless - breaking rules, making fun of those who follow the rules
• Who did Paul Willis study?


  12 working class boys in their transition from school to work
• What does Paul Willis's study of "the lads" look at?

  Even students that reject school ideologies still end up reproducing capitalism by ending up in typical fordist jobs
• What is Paul Willis's view on education?

  Still sees education as reproducing inequality to fuel capitalism but also focuses on the meanings pupils attribute to situations.
• What is Paul Willis's study called?

  Learning to labour
• What does the myth of meritocracy suggest about the bourgeoisie?

  The bourgeoise have gained higher class status because they succeeded in school
• What is the risk of a capitalist society?

  Based on inequality, always the risk that the proletariat will realise this and rebel.
• What is the myth to justify inequality?

  "Poor are dumb"
• What do Bowles and Gintis think education is?

  A giant myth making machine
• What do Bowles and Gintis not believe?

  We have a meritocratic education system
• What is the correspondence principle?

  education system mirrors the world of work.
• What did Bowles and Gintis find in their study?

  Schools reward submission and compliant personality traits and students that show independence and creativity get lower grades.
• What do Bowles and Gintis think education creates?

  It creates an obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable.
• What did Bowles and Gintis conduct their research on?

  Schooling in capitalist America
• How does education legitimise class inequality?

  Through ideology. It teaches the working class to accept their subordinate position and stops them challenging or threatening capitalism.
• How does education reproduce class inequality?

  By transmitting it from one generation to the next
• What do Marxists think education is and why?

  A negative function because it promotes class inequality
• Why are you socialised to follow orders in education?

  When you begin work, you are easier to control and manipulate
• What do Marxists believe education benefits?

  The ruling class
• Ideology

  Ideas about the way we should live
• HAL

  Higher ability learner
• LAL

  Lower ability learner
• Silt shifting


  Passing LALs out of schools
• Cream skimming


  Keeping HALs in schools
• What effects did the new right policies have?

  1. League tables increased pressure led to increased banding & streaming

  2. targeted those most likely to achieve to improve league table positions helps middle class

  3. cream skimming & silt shifting

  4. Middle class parents are able to use their economic & cultural capital to get their children into higher achieving schools