Marxism

Question 1

What do they see society as being?

Answer 1

Economically deterministic
All S’s institutions reflect + reinforce economic (Capitalist base)
Including education

Question 2

What is their view on education?

Answer 2

Social institutions (Ed) reproduce class inequalities
Persuades alienated students + exploited workers, inequality = justified + acceptable

Question 3

When did Althusser write?

Answer 3

1971

Question 4

What does ISA stand for?

Answer 4

Ideological State Apparatus

Question 5

What are the 2 functions that education performs as an ISA according to Althusser?

Answer 5

1. Reproduction

2. Legitimation

Question 6

How does education reproduce inequality?

Althusser

Answer 6

Fails each generation of wc pupils

Ensuring end up in similar low £/skilled jobs as parents

Question 7

How does education legitimate inequality according t Althusser?

Answer 7

Produces ideologies
Disguise true/ real function
Ed. tires to convince people that inequality = inevitable (natural talent)
Failure = result of individual not system

Question 8

Supporting evidence for Althusser’s view on education?

Answer 8

Top positions in S = filled by upper mc
Went to public schools + Oxbridge
Ensures elite recruitment into these top positions

Question 9

How would other conflict theories criticise Althusser’s work?

Answer 9

Like all traditional Marxists
Too much focus on class inequality
Completely disregards other inequalities
(Gender/ ethnicity)

Question 10

What does Althusser seem to claim?

Is this true?

Answer 10

We = all brainwashed into accepting our place in social hierarchy
BUT do we have some control over our educational achievements?

Question 11

When did Bowles and Gintis write?

Answer 11

1976

Question 12

How is the correspondence principle learnt?

B+G

Answer 12

Trough hidden curriculum
Things that aren’t directly taught
E.g. accepting hierarchy, competition, working for rewards

Question 13

What do Bowles + Gintis see the education system as?

Answer 13

Preparation for entering wider S
Creates new generations of workers
Ready to accept + serve capitalism

Question 14

Do Bowles and Gintis believe education is meritocratic?

Answer 14

NO!
= Myth
Ed = only made to seem fair
Stops them challenging system

Question 15

How is the work of Bowles and Giant similar to that of Davis + Moore?

Answer 15

Both show = link between Ed + economy
HOWEVER, B+G view Rship negatively
Many pupils view experience at school as alienating + oppressive

Question 16

What is a weakness of all Traditional Marxist views?

Answer 16

Too economically deterministic

Ignores other inequalities (gender/ ethnicity)

Question 17

When did Willis write?

Answer 17

1976

Question 18

Was Willis a traditional Marxist?

Answer 18

No

Neo-Marxist

Question 19

What did study did Willis carry out?

Answer 19

Unstructured group interviews + observations
IOT uncover anti-school subculture of ‘lads’
Interviews allowed boys talk freely about experiences

Question 20

What are the 2 advantages to Willis’ study?

Answer 20

1. Lots of in depth data

2. High in validity

Question 21

What are the 5 disadvantages of Willis’ study?

Answer 21

1. Unreliable
2. Can’t be easily repeated
3. Time consuming
4. Small sample (12) - unrepresentative
5. ‘lads’ = mucking around during interview, reduces validity of results

Question 22

Describe Bowles + Gintis’ study…

Answer 22

Studied 237 New York high schools
Found schools rewarded personality traits that make for a submissive, comment worker
Used questionnaires + compared them to grades/ exam scores
Advantages: large sample, generalisable, reliable results
Disadvantages: Lack meaning.

Question 23

When did Bourdieu write?

Answer 23

1977

Question 24

What is the main role of education for Bourdieu?

Answer 24

Reproduce class structure
Justify class inequalities

Question 25

According to Bourdieu what does each class have?

Answer 25

Habitus

Cultural framework of ideas about what = good/bad taste

Question 26

Where is the habits of your social class picked up?

Answer 26

Through socialisation in family

Question 27

According to Bourdieu what do the dominant class have the power to do?

Answer 27

Impose their habits on Ed system

Decide what counts as educational knowledge

Question 28

Who has more access to the culture of the dominant class according to Bourdieu?

Answer 28

Those from mc/rc backgrounds

Have cultural capital