Althrusser

• ALTHRUSSER says that the ruling class looks to control masses through different apparatuses

  1. Repressive state apparatus - promotes physical control ad coercion through police, military and courts.


  2. Ideological state apparatus - transmits values that are ruling class through controlled thoughts, beliefs and ideas in places such as education, religion and media.
• The ideological state apparatus teaches students the necessary skills for employment, reproduces the dominant ideology of ruling class and legitimates inequality
• schools achieve this by thew fragmented curriculum, teaching basic skills, changing the curriculum based ruling class values and the myth of meritocracy.
• Contemporary applications include the national curriculum split into distinct subjects, Students to study for passing grade in english and maths until 18, changes in curriculum under coalition government and a growth mindset.
• AO3 CRITICISMS: Post modernists would suggest education is one way of expressing ability in contemporary society.
• AO3 CRITICISMS: Deterministic - more children from manual labour backgrounds going into higher education than even before - still only 9%.
• AO3 CRITICISMS: Limited empirical evidence for Althusser's ideas.