MARXISM

Question 1

Marxist introduction

Answer 1

-They argue purpose of education is to maintain the power privilege and wealth of ruling class

Question 2

What point do bowles and gintis put forward and how did they find it

Answer 2

CORRESPONDANCE PRINCIPLE:
found: schooling in capitalist america
which is achieved through the hidden curriculum
- close parallels between schooling and work in capitalist society
- school mirrors the workplace

Question 3

How do bowles and gintis describe the hidden curriculum

Answer 3

the things taught by the experience of going to school not the stated aims of the school

Question 4

what are the four parts that the hidden curriculum include

Answer 4

1) SUBSERVIANT WORKFORCE:
- pupils: accept authority = rewarded
- eg perseverance and punctuality
- develops unimaginative + unquestioning workforce
2)ACCEPTANCE OF HIERARCHY:
- teachers give orders, students obey
- dont control what they learn or how they do
- mirrors relationships at work
3)EXTERNAL REWARDS:
- motivated by quals not school life itself - offer promise of employment
- workplace: motivated by wage pack
4)FRAGMENTATION:
- pupils move from subjects making little connection
- knowledge = fragmented between subjects
- factory+office jobs: specific tasks and workers are kept apart preventing opposition’s to authority

Question 5

What do bowles and gintis say the illusion of equal opportunity is.

Answer 5

Schools disguise the fact that things such as social class have a bigger impact on students education than ability this is the myth of meritocracy Those denied success blame themselves rather than the system which legitimises inequality in society

Question 6

What evidence is there to support bowles and gintis (3)

Answer 6

1) vocational qualifications: worked based courses which directly relate to certain jobs
2)the national curriculum curtailed teachers freedom: the NC limits freedom and creativity
3) academy schools:businesses now have increased control over schools curriculum content this could promote a pro business agenda and develop conformist workers their business

Question 7

what are 2 cricticsms of bowles ad gintis

Answer 7

1) brown et al - exams as poor preparation for work: the workplace requires teamwork whereas exams require pupils to compete against each other discouraging teamwork
2) pupils reject hidden curriculum: Paul Willis discovered that some pupils develop an anti school sub culture which opposes school rule and encourages non conformist behaviour

Question 8

what was Paul Willis study

Answer 8

• studying qualitive methods
  -observation and unstructured interviews
  -12 working class boys making the transition from school to work
  -used am interactionalist approach that focuses on the meanings pupils give to their situation

Question 9

what where the six things paul willis found during his study of the lads

Answer 9

1) the lads felt superior to teachers and conformist pupils
2) they saw no value in gaining qualifications
3) main objectives for lads: avoid lessons, do as little as possible, misbehave and find entertainment through ‘having a laff’
4) they found school boring and tried to identify with the adult world by smoking, drinking and not wearing uniform - rejecting authority
5) the subculture was strongly sexist and racists, valued traditional masculinity, pupils who where part of ethnic minority’s where seen as inferior
6) manual labour was seen as more important than ‘pen pushing’

Question 10

what are the three criticisms of paul willis’ study

Answer 10

1)his account of the lads romaticises them, portrays them as working class hero’s despite their behaviour
2) his small study in one school isn’t repetitive and would be risky to generalise
3) the jobs the lads fell into after leaving school may no longer exist due to deindustrialisation therefore this may suggest that working class lads may now find more value in gaining qualifications, this therefore lacks contempary relevance

Question 11

what was louis althussers view on education
(neo marxist)

Answer 11

the main role of education is to reproduce an efficient and obedient labour force involving 2 aspects:
1. reproduction of the necessary technical skills
2. the reproduction of ruling class ideology + socialisation into them accepting this dominant ideology

Question 12

what does althusser say an ideological state appartus is

Answer 12

it passes on ruling class ideology and justifies the capitalist system by selecting people form the different social classes as adults develop the right attitudes and behaviours
EXAMPLE: workers are forced to accept exploitation, managers are taught the rule

Question 13

what is illichs view on education

Answer 13

schools are a repressive institution that promote conformity and encourage students into passive acceptance of existing inequalities and interests of the powerful rather than encouraging them to be critical and think for themselves
DONE BY:
rewarding those who accept the school regime with quals and access to higher jobs if don’t conform: they are excluded to further progress in edu, end up with low level jobs

Question 14

what does illich think the solution to educations problems are

Answer 14

abolish schooling altogether - he calls this deschooling

Question 15

what does the work of althusser and illich suggest about edcuation

Answer 15

that education plays an important roles in producing hegemony and hegemonic control of the ruling class

Question 16

what is one crictism of althusser

Answer 16

reynolds - the survival of liberal humanities
subjects such as sociology actively encourage students to question society and many subjects are chosen purely for the love of learning - much of the curriculum doesn’t develop ideal capitalist employees

Question 17

what is bourdieus view on education

Answer 17

schools are middle class instituations run by the middle class and that the cultural capital that middle class pupils have gives them a distinct advantage over working class pupils

Question 18

what are four examples of cultural capital

Answer 18

1) reading newspaper and even crosswords
2) taking children on educational visits during school holidays
3) the ability to help pupils with their homework
4) encouraging discussions about topical issues usually at the dinner table

Question 19

what does stephen ball say

Answer 19

middle class parents are able to use their cultural capital to ‘play the system’ to ensure that their pupils gain entry to their desired schools

Question 20

how is stephen balls view achieved

Answer 20

1) making an impression with the head teacher on open day
2) knowing how to tackle and appeal if they are unsuccessful on application
3) middle class parents preform well at interviews
4) middle class parents are more likely to have insider knowledge of the education system

Question 21

what are some ao3 points for bourdieus cultural captital

Answer 21

1) many sociologists argue that material factors are more significant than cultural ones e.g cant afford transport costs, uniforms or a house in that catchment area
2) sure starts centres started to overcome the problem of working class parents and pupils lacking cultural capital.