Marxism

• Base-Superstructure model


  -Marxists argue the economic base of society shapes the ideological superstructure

  -in turn maintains the economic base my legitimating its existence
• superstructure


  -everything not directly to do with production
• base


  -means of production (tools, machines, factories, land, raw meterials)

  -relations of production (capitalist system in which bourgeoisie exploit proletariat)
• Althusser : ideological state apparatus

  -Bourgeoisie maintain their dominant position over proletariat through state (education key component)

  -Althusser > state consists of two separate apparatuses that work together to keep bourgeoisie in power

  > repressive & ideological
• repressive state apparatus 


  -maintain the rule of bourgeoisie by force

  -or threat of force
• ideological state apparatus


  -maintain rule of bourgeoisie by controlling people's ideas, values & beliefs
• education performing two functions - Althusser

  -reproduces class inequality

  -legitimate class inequality
• education reproducing class inequality - Althusser


  -keeps class inequality going

  -education does this by failing each successive generation of working class pupils

  -prevent working class from becoming middle class
• education legitimates class inequality - Althusser


  -produces ideologies that disguise true cause of inequality

  -tries to persuade workers to accept inequality is inevitable and they deserve their subordinate position

  -workers accept these ideologies > less likely to challenge capitalist system
• Bowles & Gintis


  schooling in capitalist america
• Bowles & Gintis - schooling in capitalist America


  -argue capitalism requires a specific kind of workforce

  -role of education is to reproduce this
• Bowles & Gintis - study

  -237 students

  -conclude that schools reward the personality traits that make for submissive, compliant worker

  -students who showed independence & creativity tended to achieve low grades

  -students showing obedience & discipline gained higher grades
• Bowles & Gintis - the correspondence principle


  -argue there are close parallels between schooling & work in capitalist society
• examples of correspondence principle

  A) education

  B) production

  C) grades

  D) pay

  E) subjects

  F) tasks

  G) labour

  H) students

  I) workforce

  J) education

  K) occupational structure

  L) learning

  M) goals

  N) teachers

  O) students

  P) authority

  
• Bowles & Gintis - the hidden curriculum

  -correspondence principle operates through 'hidden curriculum'

  -regular curriculum > lessons taught directly

  -hidden curriculum > lessons taught indirectly
• regular curriculum examples


  -subject content

  -school values
• hidden curriculum examples


  -acceptance of hierarchy

  -obedience
• myth of meritocracy - legitimation of class inequality

  -Bowles & Gintis

  -social class inequalities disguised by myth that middle class achieve because they work hardest in fair system

  -'poor are dumb' theory justifies poverty of the working class, blaming individual rather than capitalism
• Willis : Learning to Labour


  -studied group of 12 working class boys
• Willis - AIM


  -to show not only how schooling serves capitalism

  -also the meanings these pupils gave to their situation

  -and how they tried to resist indoctrination
• Willis - FINDINGS


  -the lads formed a distinct counter-culture opposed to the school

  -saw school as pointless

  -flouted its rules > mocked anyone who conformed
• Willis - CONCLUSION


  -education not effective agent of socialisation

  -as pupils not passively socialised into obedience

  -however by resisting schools ideology > lads counter-culture ensured they were destined for working class jobs