marxism

Question 1

For marx, how did education serve capitalism?

Answer 1

• reproduces existing inequalities present in capitalist society
• legitimises or justifies these inequalities through the myth of meritocracy

Question 2

Ralph Miliband

Answer 2

• Meritocracy is a myth
• Functionalists argue that the role of education is to sort and sift, but actually the purpose of education is to reproduce class inequality
• By pretending to be fair, it helps to create a ‘false class consciousness’ - We are persuaded to believe that the rich and powerful reached their positions through their hard work and natural ability rather than because of their privileged birth, such as the royal family

Question 3

Example of the myth of meritocracy

Answer 3

Boris Johnson was the 5th Prime Minister to have been educated at Eton since 1945 but we are taught in school that we all have equal chances in education and life

Question 4

Bowles and Gintis

Answer 4

Correspondence theory - what we learn at school prepares us for future exploitation at work

• School consists of a clearly defined hierarchy which mirrors the hierarchy of workers from the boss at the top
• Pupils who conform and fit in well, do better than those who display challenging behaviour to their teachers (bosses)
• Therefore pupils who learn to conform are learning a skill that will help them to do well in the working world.

Question 5

AO3 for Bowles and Gintis

Answer 5

Hannah and Boyle - carried out a larger survey of schools and found much variation among working class schools. They argued that the outcome is more dependent on management and attitude of the teachers which impacts the ethos of the school. Not all w/c schools prepare students for failing under capitalism

Willis - w/c didn’t learn to behave at school

Question 6

Willis

Answer 6

• His study focuses on ‘the lads’ - a group of 12 WC boys had formed an anti-school subculture
• Within this subculture it was ‘cool’ to ‘mess about’ and to fail. They rejected authority and just turned up to ‘have a laff’. From the perspective of this subculture, children who were viewed positively were ‘ear’oles’ (rejecting correspondence theory)
• However, they ended up failing and still ended up in working class jobs (so supports the reproduction of class inequality)

‘Learning to Labour’

Question 7

Althusser

Answer 7

Education is an ‘ideological state apparatus’

Believes it transmits capitalist values and reproduces class inequalities in wealth and power

Using the hidden curriculum, education teaches us about hierarchy, respect for authority, obeying the rules. Althusser would argue that that these serve to keep the rich and powerful in their positions and to prevent rebellion and revolution

Question 8

Bourdieu

Answer 8

Cultural capital - He argued that the children of middle-class parents are likely to have knowledge, behaviour, attitudes and cultural experiences that ensures that they succeed in education

Working-class cultural attributes are rejected because the education system is shaped by and for the middle classes who therefore are more likely to succeed

If Bourdieu is correct, we do not live in a meritocracy, rather the richest in society have a range of advantages and so achieve more qualifications. They are not more intelligent, just wealthier

Question 9

Gramsci

Answer 9

Coined the term ‘ideological hegemony’ to describe the influence the ruling class has over what counts as knowledge

This hegemony is exercised through institutions such as education, or the media

Question 10

Illich

Answer 10

School kills creativity within individuals, the education system transforms the free individual into a robot like figure in the system