Marxism Flashcards
key sociologists
Althusser - ISA
Bowles and Gintis - correspondence principle, hidden curriculum, the myth of meritocracy
functions of the education system
Education legitimises and reproduces class inequality - Althusser
Correspondence principle
Hidden Curriculum
The Myth of meritocracy
what is the education system a main form of and according to who
According to Althusser, education is the main ISA
what is the ISA
Institutions in society used to manipulate people’s beliefs to maintain control
what two functions does the education system perform according to althusser
Althusser argues that the education system performs two functions as a tool of the state to pass on capitalist ideology
1. Education legitimises class inequality
2. Education reproduces the class inequality
how does the education system legitimise the class inequality
The education system according to Althusser legitimises class inequality by producing ideologies that disguise the true pictures of capitalism. As the education system is an ISA - it functions to persuade workers to accept that inequality is inevitable, capitalism is justified and reasonable and that they deserve their subordinate position in society, if they accept these ideas they are less likely to challenge or threaten capitalism.
how does the education system reproduce class inequality
The education system reproduces class inequality according to Althusser by passing on ruling class ideology and teaching basic skills needed to perform within a capitalist society, the WC are essentially forced to fail and end up taking up low-status, low-paid, alienating work roles while the MC go to the top of the pile and are trained to fill their RC roles. For example, schools in the UK often teach obedience, conformity and respect for authority which they argue are British values but for Marxists, this teaches the working class to be subservient
correspondence principle
Bowles and Gintis in their study of schooling in capitalist America, argue that schooling takes place in ‘the long shadow of work’ this means that there are close parallels between schooling and work in capitalist society as they argue that the education system prepares pupils for their future role in capitalist society. Both schools and workplaces are hierarchical for example, head teachers or bosses at the top make decisions and give orders to pupils and workers at the bottom, the school essentially mirrors the workplace. Bowles and Gintis refer to these parallels between school and workplace as examples of the correspondence principles. The structures found in education mirror those of work which prepares the WC children for WC jobs and MC children for MC jobs
hidden curriculum
Bowles and Gintis argue that the correspondence principle operates through the hidden curriculum, meaning the real purpose of the school is to pass on beliefs and values which keep capitalism going, this is not openly stated as part of the curriculum, it is hidden and subtly passed on. All lessons that are learnt in school without being directly taught. For example, simply through the everyday workings and organisation of schools, pupils become accustomed to accepting hierarchy and competition. In this way, schooling prepares WC pupils for their role as future exploited workers which reproduces the workforce capitalism needs and perpetuates class inequality
where does the correspondence principle operate through
Bowles and Gintis argue that the correspondence principle operates through the hidden curriculum
the myth of meritocracy
Education promotes the myth of meritocracy. Unlike functionalists, Bowles and Gintis argue that meritocracy does not exist, as social class has an impact on educational achievement. A study conducted by Sutton Trust in 2019 found that students from private schools in the UK were more than twice likely to achieve A or A* grades at A level than state schools. By disguising this fact, the myth of meritocracy serves to justify the privileges of the ruling classes, making it seem that they gained them through succeeding in open and fair competition at schools. This helps persuade the WC to accept inequality as legitimate and makes a revolution less likely
what can the WC do aside from being passive
According to Willis, the WC can resist the hidden curriculum by adopting a counter-culture. Pupils can avoid capitalist socialisation - that means the WC does not necessarily fall into WC jobs which suggests a flaw in Marxist theory
what is Willis study called
learning to labour
learning to labour
By studying a group of 12 working-class boys using a qualitative research method, he found that the lads form a distinct counter-culture opposed to the schools, they are scornful of the conformist boys and girls. They find school boring and meaningless and they flout its rules and values which in turn rejects the school’s meritocratic ideology. But their counter-culture steers them into WC labour as resisting the school’s ideology only ensures that the lads are destined for the unskilled work that capitalism needs
evaluation - deterministic
Bowles and Gintis take a deterministic view, they assume that pupils have no free will and passively accept indoctrination, this approach fails to explain why many pupils rejects the schools values
