1.4 The Marxist Perspecrive On Education

Question 1

Ideas of Marxism:

Answer 1

Marxists see society and education based on class division and capitalist exploitation.
Karl marx described capitalism as a 2 class system:
The capitalist class- bourgeoisie they make their profits by exploiting the proletariat clas
The working class- work under capitalism, poorly paid, alienating and unsatisfying.
This creates class conflict.
However, Karl thought the proletariat would revolt but couldn’t as the bourgeoisie control the state. As they do they use this power to control the ideologies of capitalism in school and teach these to future generations. This prevents revolution and maintains capitalism.

Question 2

How do these ideas differ from the functionalists perspective of education?

Answer 2

Functionalists believe that everyone has an equal opportunity. Marxists contrast this and says that education is for upper class capitalist class.

Question 3

Who is Althusser 1971?

Answer 3

He said that the states consists of two elements or apparatuses both of which serve to keep the bourgeoisie in power:
The repressive state apparatuses (RSA)- Maintain the rule of bourgeoisie by force or the threat to it. The RSA’S include the police courts and army. They use physical coercion to repress working class.

The ideological state apparatuses (LSA)- Which maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie by controlling people’s ideas values and beliefs. The LSA’S include religion the mass media and the education system.

Question 4

Means of production definition

Answer 4

Availability of being able to produce capitalist owns- bourgeoisie

Question 5

Legitimation of class inequality definition

Answer 5

Maintaining rules of bourgeoisie through sets of ideologies

Question 6

What did Bowles and Gintis do?

Answer 6

Believe that education produces an obedient workforce by the hidden curiculum