2. The Real Role of Education for Society - Marxist perspective

Question 1

What is the Marxist view on education?

Answer 1

Education is a key institution that serves the needs of the ruling class

Question 2

What do Marxists see education as a form of?

Answer 2

Form of social control - young people are encouraged to conform and accept their social position

Question 3

Where should working class children/middle class end up?

Answer 3

Working-class children to do working class jobs, middle class children to take positions of power

Question 4

What does the meritocratic education system make out?

Answer 4

Those who fail in education do so because of their lack of ability or effort and only have themselves to blame

Question 5

Whose Theory is the class reproduction theory?

Answer 5

Louis Althusser

Question 6

What did Althusser believe was reproduced in education?

Answer 6

-An efficient and obedient labor force
-Necessary skills for a capitalist economy
-Workers who accept their position in society without question

Question 7

Define false class consciousness

Answer 7

Acceptance of your social position through failure to recognize what is and is not in your best interests.

Question 8

What was in order to stop working class rebellion?

Answer 8

WC need to assume the ruling class way is the only way it can be

Question 9

What is the ideological state apparatus main function?

Answer 9

Main function is to pass on the dominant ideology of the ruling class.

Question 10

Whose theory is cultural reproduction?

Answer 10

Pierre Bourdieu

Question 11

Bourdieu - What are his 3 main concepts?

Answer 11

-Habitus
-Field
-Capital

Question 12

Define Habitus

Answer 12

Habitus is your understanding of life. Your ‘norm’ and ‘what is natural to you’

Question 13

Define field

Answer 13

Life is a game with different fields, each field has its own set of rules

Question 14

Bourdieu - What are the 3 capitals?

Answer 14

-Cultural capital
-Social capital
-Economic capital

Question 15

Define Cultural capital

Answer 15

Your social resources - your understanding of life, norms and values and experiences. The skills your equipped with during socialisation

Question 16

Define Social capital

Answer 16

Family connections. Your social network.

Question 17

Define economic capital

Answer 17

Financial resources - having plenty of money brings more choices and opportunities. Housing, education, food, cars. Wealth is usually associated with power

Question 18

What does Pierre argue Habitus, field, cultural, social and economic capital leads to?

Answer 18

Bourdieu argues these lead to the reproduction of class inequalities,

Question 19

Bourdieu - What does the education system devalue?

Answer 19

Working class skills, knowledge, ways of speaking and behaving are devalued by the education system, giving them less chance of success

Question 20

What does Illich argue?

Answer 20

Schools are repressive institutions

Question 21

Why does Illich argue schools are repressive institutions?

Answer 21

-They promote conformity, acceptance of inequalities
-Do not encourage critical, independent through
-Reward those who accept the school regime
-Put barriers in the way of those who do not conform

Question 22

What does Illich mean by wanting to see schools abolished

Answer 22

De-schooling

Question 23

Why does Freire see schools as repressive?

Answer 23

Learners are conditioned to accept oppressive relations of domination and subordination - obey teachers and accept superior knowledge.

Question 24

What do Bowles and Gintis argue schools do?

Answer 24

Schools mirror the world of work in order to prepare pupils for manual labor.

Question 25

What do Bowles and Gintis say the world of work casts?

Answer 25

The world of work casts a long shadow over education - the hidden curriculum corresponds with features of the work place (correspondence theory)

Question 26

What else do Bowles and Gintis criticize education for?

Answer 26

Bowles and Gintis also criticise education for legitimising inequality

Question 27

Criticisms of the marxist approach:
What do Marxists emphasise?

Answer 27

Marxists emphasize class inequality in education and pay no attention to inequality based on gender or ethnicity

Question 28

Criticisms of the marxist approach:
What does much work now require?

Answer 28

Believes much work now requires teamwork rather than obedience and authority

Question 29

Criticisms of the marxist approach:
What does Willis believe about the hidden curriculum?

Answer 29

Willis believes the hidden curriculum is not always accepted and debates whether education is really constructed by the ruling class

Question 30

What does Henry Gilroux believe pupils actively shape?

Answer 30

WC pupils actively shape their own education and often resist discipline imposed on them by school

Question 31

Paul Willis - What idea was he trying to challenge?

Answer 31

Challenging the marxist idea that working class pupils submit to the power of the hidden curriculum

Question 32

What did Willis do in his research?

Answer 32

He conducted his study using interviews and observations in school.
The ‘lads’ saw themselves as superior to teachers who they called ‘ear’ ‘oles’ - they weren’t interested in academic qualifications

Question 33

Paul Willis - What was the ‘lads’ aim

Answer 33

aim was to do as little work as possible while ‘having a laff’ through bad behaviour

Question 34

Paul Willis - What was their behavior classed as?

Answer 34

Their anti-school culture was sexist and racist

Question 35

Paul Willis - What happened when Willis followed the ‘lads’ into their jobs?

Answer 35

Their jobs were unskilled manual jobs in factories

Question 36

Define shop floor culture/ counter-school culture

Answer 36

Involves lack of respect for authority and ‘having a naff’ to cope with boring work

Question 37

Paul Willis - What was the outcome of the ‘lads’ rejecting aspects of ruling class ideology?

Answer 37

Although the ‘lads’ rejected ruling class ideology their rebellion against school meant they still ended up reproducing class inequality since they moved on to working class jobs

Question 38

What is the myth or meritocracy

Answer 38

Those who fail is due to lack of effort and have themselves to blame and ignore middle class advantage