Marxism Flashcards
What did Louis Althusser argue?
Repressive state apparatus
Ideological state apparatus
What is repressive state apparatus?
Maintain rule of bourgeoise through force or threat of force
EG. army and police
Reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from generation, by failing each successive generation of working class pupils in turn.
What is ideological state apparatus?
Maintain the role of the bourgeoise by controlling the ideas, norms and values of the proletariat through media and education system
Discuses its true cause
Persuades workers to accept that inequality is inevitable and that they deserve their subordinate position in society.
If they accept these ideas they are less likely to challenge or threaten society
What did Bowles and Gintis study about schooling in capitalist America?
237 New York high school students
Concluded schools reward the kind of personality traits that make for a submissive, complaint worker. ]By rewarding these personality traits it consequently reinforces that behaviour throughout their lives.
They found students who showed values of independence, creativity and innovaitipn were more likely to get lower grades, whilst those who showed obedience and disciplined characteristic tended to get the higher grades
What do Bowles and Giants argue about the hidden curriculum?
There are close parallels between school and workplace
Correspondence principle
Which operated through hidden curriculum
What did Cohen argue about hidden curriculum?
Youth training schemes serve capitalism by teaching young workers not genuine job skills, but attitudes and values needed in a subordinate workforce
What is Extrinsic satisfaction?
Rewards external to the work itself
EG. from grades rather than interest from the subjects studied
What do Bowles and Giants argue about the Myth of meritocracy?
Education system helps prevent this rebellion by justifying class inequalities
Produces ideologies
Meritocracy doesn’t exist =, success is determined by family income and class balkground not their ability of achievements
By disguising this education makes it seem that it is fair and open competition at school
‘Poor are dumb’ Blaming poverty on the individual rather than capitalism.
How does Willis critique Bowles and Gintis?
They presented people as being passive and accepting their indoctrination
Instead WC pupils resist attempts to indoctrinate them, they are not passive.
Why was Learning to labour great?
Combines Marxist ad interactionist arguments
Looked anti school subcultures
Used range of qualitative research methods to study the lads
Useful for education, theory, research methods and crime and deviance
How do postmodernists argue against the Marxist view?
It is outdated
Society has entered as postmodern phase where class divisions are no longer important
Society us much more diverse and fragmented
We now require a postforwardist workforce where by there is a flexible specialisation and adaptations to use advanced technology.
Workforces calls for a different type of education system that encourages self motivation and creativity and must also provide life long restraining because rapid technological change makes existing skills obsolete.
