Conflict Theories On Education. (Marxists views on education) Flashcards
What did Louis Althusser believe ?
He believed/argued that the education system was part of the ideological state apparatus.
What were the two forms of apparatus ?
Repressive state apparatus (coercive power e.g. police, army etc) and ideological state apparatus (institutions that spread bourgeois ideology and created a false class consciousness)
What apparatus are the education system part of ?
Ideological state apparatus.
What does Althusser believe that education does ?
Prepares students for a life of exploitation and teaches the norms and values (similar to Durkheim) however Althusser believes that these serve the interest of the bourgeoisie and it is a capital consensus preventing social change)
How does Althusser believe that education performs it’s ideological state role ?
The formal curriculum (what is taught and what isn’t taught impacts the nature of the value consensus) and hidden curriculum.
Outside of the formal curriculum what do schools also teach ?
Hierarchy, respect for authority, obeying the rules etc.
What would Functionalists argue these other values do in comparison to Marxists ?
Functionalists would argue that these skills are important for society to be able to function properly, however Marxists ( Althusser) would argue that it serves to keep the rich and powerful in their position and to prevent rebellions.
What did Bowles and Gintis find and what was some evidence of this ?
They found a correspondence between schools and the workplace. e.g. school uniform, strict time keeping, hierarchy, rewards etc.
How do rewards and sanctions correspond with the workplace ?
Rewards for work can include bonus pay and the reward is for doing as instructed and working without complaint, attending on time not leaving early etc. If they do not follow the rules they can find themselves sacked or going through disciplinary procedures.
How does motivation correspond with the workplace ?
At work people are encouraged to look at the pay rather than the actual work. Work in the capitalist system is boring and unfulfilling and education helps to teach this instead people should be happy with external rewards.
What do Marxists believe work should be like ?
interesting and fulfilling but capitalism prevents this.
How does fragmentation correspond with the workplace ?
The workplace is too fragmented with workers only knowing their role and not what else is happening in the whole process, which helps the bosses to control the situations as the workers don’t know enough to rebel.
What do functionalists think about the correspondence theory ?
They see all of these aspects as positive things, and preparation for work as a positive function of the education system.
What is a problem with Bowles and Gintis correspondence theory ?
Their research took place/ was conducted in 1976 and so might not be as useful in modern day society. Modern workplaces are also a lot different, we still have similar factory jobs but most is changed.
What is a criticism of the education system about the workplace ?
some believe that the curriculum still corresponds with the workplaces of a different era and no longer prepares students for the modern day workplace.
What was Paul Willis study ?
Learning to labour.
What did Paul Willis learning to labour study show about working class students experience and their coping mechanisms ?
That the experience of being a working class lad at school, prepares students for the boredom of manual labour by allowing them to develop a distinct set of values which serve as a coping mechanism.
What did Paul Willis discover about anti - school subcultures ?
The idea that ‘having a laff’ and entertaining themselves which prepares them for the tedium of work. Also the idea that the appreciation of peers is a more external reward than grades and qualifications. For ‘the lads’ the worst thing that you can do is be an ‘ear’ ‘ole’.
How do ‘the lads’ rebel ?
Through schoolyard humour and mockery, but never a rebellion enough to disrupt the capitalist system.
What sociological group is Paul Willis part of ?
He is a Neo - Marxist. (believe that the economic system creates a wealthy class of owners and a poor class of workers)
What do Neo - Marxists (Paul Willis) believe about workers (e.g. teachers) within the education system ?
That teachers, and other workers within the education system are not deliberately working on behalf of the bourgeoisie of the capitalist system, some might consciously try not to. However the class nature of capitalist society makes it difficult to work against the exploitive nature of the system or know your part within it.
What is Neo - Marxists beliefs on the education system and its function ?
Its main function is to reproduce inequality (segregated by class, labelling, gender, wealth etc)
What did Pierre Bourdieu believe ?
That it isn’t only money that gives the wealthy power but cultural assets too.
What did Pierre Bourdieu say about education and what it assesses ?
School sometimes assesses cultural capital (essential knowledge that children need in order to prepare them for future successes) rather than what has been learnt in school, and teachers will them perceive cultural capital as intelligence, leading to a positive label on the student.
What sociological group is Pierre Bourdieu part of / influenced by?
Marxists (concerned with the struggles of lower and middle class workers, and the conflict between social classes alongisde economic inequality)
What concept did Bourdieu help to develop ?
Habitus.
What is habitus ?
A culture / view that is associated with a social class or social group. Our life experiences (that will all be different depending on the group) deeply embed us into our habitus, skills and ways of behaviour and thinking
Why are middle class pupils commonly treated better than working class students by teachers ?
Teachers also have a middle class habitus and so can relate to pupils who are similar / middle class. Therefore, aspects of a working class habitus can be interpreted negatively or unconsciously associated with being less academic / intelligent.
Whose views did Basil Bernstein add on to ?
Pierre Bourdieu’s views.
What was Bernstein’s theory / concept ?
He wrote about the different language codes used by different social classes, and how teachers, textbooks, middle class students, exam papers all use a different language code to working class pupils. This contributes to schools reproducing inequality.
What were the two types of language codes made up by Bernstein ?
Elaborated and restricted.
What is a problem with all Marxists theories in education in terms of politics ?
That people who work in education are left wing biased, often going into education to do the opposite of what they are accused of doing.
What do neo - Marxists argue teachers do despite them mostly being un aware (to do with social class and language codes) ?
Unconsciously assume pupils of working class habitus who speak and write in restricted code are less able, less engaged, less intelligent, making less effort.
What evidence is there to counter Marxists argument that teachers unconsciously label restricted code as being negative, students being less intelligent ?
School teachers come from a wide range of social backgrounds and as more pupils from working class have gone onto university it has resulted in there being more teachers from working class backgrounds , who are able to recognise working class habitus and understand issues relating to language codes.
What is seen as a negative to feminists theories / views ?
They might paint too much of a negative and gloomy picture.
What do some criticise feminists, particularly radical feminists of ?
Presenting women as being too passive.
What are some ideas criticised of being in terms of the modern day time period ?
Outdated as most women now work, nature of family life has changed in response to this, however not all feminists believe that the change is for the better.
