Marxism

Question 1

Marxist views on education

Answer 1

Education is a way for the Capitalist government to control and prevent rebellion by teaching that social inequality is normal.
‘The ruling class rule as thinkers, as producers of ideas’ - Karl Marx

Question 2

Louis Althusser - education and ideology

Answer 2

Those in power have 2 ways for controlling the working class:
1) Repressive state apparatus
2) Ideological state apparatus
The education system is a means of helping the state to control the behaviour of the poor. The hidden curriculum helps control the hearts and minds of the working class, therefore keeping Capitalism in control.

Question 3

Louis Althusser - Criticisms

Answer 3

• Deterministic
• Individuals from poor backgrounds can become rich (eg: Alan Sugar)
• Fails to recognise rebelling students
• Functionilst would disagree, having students from a range of social class in a school means they can all achieve equally. It’s a meritocratic.

Question 4

Bowles and Gintis - schooling in Capitalist America

Answer 4

Used questionnairs to study 237 New York High school students about their experiences in education. They claim there is a close correspondence between school and work. The education system reproduces an obediant workforce that will accept inequality as an inevitable part of life. This is achieved through the hidden curriculum in 4 main ways:
The correspondance principles
- Acceptance of heirarchy between teachers and pupils/teachers: reflects: heirarchy in the workplace
- Fragmentation of subjects: reflects: Different departments in companies
- Subservience: pupils are trained to be passive, docile and accepting (Jug and Mug principle): reflects: employees being expected to follow instructions and not question authority
- Motivation by external reward, there is little satisfaction in learning, but the final grade is the ultimate goal: reflects: payday/ money
The role of education is to simply train pupils for the inevitable exploitation and oppression at work and sell the myth of meritocracy to working class pupils.

Question 5

Bowles and Gintis - criticisms

Answer 5

Modern day employers demand innovative, creative and independent employees, contrary to this claim. Working class Chinese heritage pupils do better at school than middle class British heritage pupils. It doesnt consider anti-school subcultures and rebelling students. Functionalists would disagree that meritocracy is a myth.

Question 6

Paul Willis - Learning to labour, how working class kids get working class jobs

Answer 6

Studied a group of 12 working class boys (the ‘lads’) in their last year and a half of school and their fast few months of work through observations and unstructured interviews. The ‘lads’ rejected school and had their own counter-school culture. They saw the conformist behaviour of other students (the ‘ear holes’) as a matter of amusement and mockery. School was just good for a laugh - they were destined for low-paying jobs, so why try? They feircely opposed heirarchy and teachers, and often took them excersising their authority rather personally due to their status fustration. This counter school culture turned into a shop floor culture at work. Willis suggests that the behaviour of the ‘lads’ served the interests of Capitalism, since their failure and underachievement meant that they inevitably went to take on low paid, low skill jobs, which is exactly what society needed from some people. The ‘lads’ felt as though they were in control of their own behaviour by protesting against the system, but in the end, Capitalism had the last laugh.

Question 7

Paul Willis - Criticisms

Answer 7

Its a small sample: not representative of all anti-school subcultures. Willis simplified the anti-school sunbultures - there are so many different ways of rebelling and varied groups, its similar to box them all into one. Due to the unstructured interviews, Wills may not have the same information needed for his study from every boy, this can also cause the interviewer effect and the social desirablility effect. Hawthorne effect may have taken place too. Fails to explain why most working class students conform.

Question 8

Julian Sailsbury - Marxism and Education today (article)

Answer 8

• Althusser
• Bourdieu
• Bowles and Gintis
• Willis
• Correspondence principle:
  A form of reward land punishment that fosters socialisation and creates character traits and behavioural norms which benefit employers (B & G). However, it does not re\ally apply to the developed service economy of today. Employers want employees who are innovative and creative, not just mindless puppets. Human capital and transferrable skills are more valued by employers these days. Futher showing the need for an update, many univeristy graduates are overqualified for the jobs they have (eg: stacking shelves in a supermarket), showing that there is a shortage of specialised jobs.