Marxism & Feminism

Question 1

Althusser (1971)

Answer 1

Repressive state apparatus (RSAs) use physical force to keep cap Soc - police, army, courts
Ideological State apparatus (ISAs) control ideas & beliefs eg relig media & edu

Question 2

Bowles & Gintis (1976) Correspondence Theory

Answer 2

edu system integrates ppl into cap prod process - org of the system mirrors way cap work = org
disciplines students to demands of work involves - personal demeanor, self presentation image social class identification
= hierarchy teachers = bosses & pupils = workers w/ no control

Question 3

Alienation

Bowles & Gintis (1976) Correspondence Theory

Answer 3

w’s = alien from their work - students = same
= no control over edu process / content of the edu
motiv for learning provided by grading system not through learning - knowledge less NB than quals - encour to work for rewards not satisfaction

Question 4

Division of Labour

Bowles & Gintis (1976) Correspondence Theory

Answer 4

divided into subject areas - means accept division of labour rather than see edu as an organic whole - reflects the divide & rule policies practiced by employers
correspondence maintained at various levels of edu system

Question 5

Levels of Work

Bowles & Gintis (1976) Correspondence Theory

Answer 5

destined for lower levels - rule following emphasised = little respon - do simple repetitive tasks
middle levels - dependability & some ability to work indepen
higher levels - emphasis on making pupil believe in the significance of what they are doing, the ability to work indepen & take some level of (guided) control over academic work

Question 6

Criticisms

Bowles & Gintis (1976) Correspondence Theory

Answer 6

• too deterministic - teachers = agents of cap & students = victims = shaped by factors outside control some teachers are radical & not all students are passive recipients of cap ideolo
• assumps about the extistence of hidden cur X prove
• formal cur doesn’t nec reflect attempt to create a subservient workforce - schools freq crit for = too academic - no skills for industry

Question 7

Willis (1977)

Answer 7

12 WC boys (lads) over final yr & 1/2 of school & initial time at work - despised school & looked forward to work - indif to school ensured failure & entered WC jobs - maintains social class
treated dead end jobs like school - helped them cope - attitude to school ensured failure but gave way to cope w/ alienating job
concl edu system doesn’t auto prod children in values & grading of ability as claimed by B&G = wide variety of responses

Question 8

Criticisms

Willis (1977)

Answer 8

issues around methodology
sample size 12 male pupils means his study = hardly rep of one of school let alone whole WC
accused of being too sympathetic towards attitude of the lads towards soc - may have affected his conclusions

Question 9

Economic Capital

Bourdieu

Answer 9

refers to economic wealth which can be transferred from one gen to the other by inheritance

Question 10

Educational Capital

Bourdieu

Answer 10

refers to formal edu quals - type of cul cap that is formally sanctioned & certified by edu system

Question 11

Bourdieu

Answer 11

reproduction of econ inequal can be explained through inheritence of wealth by successive gens - cul cap also inher soc through a process of socialisation w/in fam

Question 12

Habitus

Bourdieu

Answer 12

differs according to class position of the family - fams will possess varying degrees of econ & cul cap & this will determine their positions w/in class structure

Question 13

Bourdieu Class Inequalities

Answer 13

by showing how cur = linked to cul cap & econ cap expls how WC pupils = excluded
access to dif levels of edu system & edu cap assoc w/ them = gov by rela between cul & econ cap
cur = biased - demands some are unable to meet - asks for an attitude to academic knowledge many don’t have
those who fams provide essential skills & attitudes that lead to success in school = rewarded w/ academic success & soc gifts interp as natural ability & interest
children who don’t have these skills & attitudes = eliminated from the system

Question 14

Heaton & Lawson (1996)

Feminism

Answer 14

argue the hidden curriculum taught patri values - trad fam strucs in textbooks - gender stereos, subjects aimed at genders, gender divions in PE & sport & divion of labour in schools - female teachers & male managment

Question 15

Liberal Feminist Perspective

Answer 15

= remaining issues of patri in edu but = strides to equality
1940s & 50s under tripartite system boys had lower 11+ pass mark - insitutionally failing girls to ensure m boys can suceed
now subjects = optional still gender preferences
since 1980s girls out perform boys so if = patri = failing

Question 16

Stanworth (1983)

Answer 16

noted = higher expectations of boys & teachers = m likely to recommend HE to boys than girls on same academic level
= outdated

Question 17

Radical Feminists

Answer 17

argue edu system still fundmentally patri & marginalises & oppresses women
reinforce patri ideology through formal & hidden cur & normalising marginalisation & oppression so girls think = normal

Question 18

Radical Feminist Research

Answer 18

also looked at sexual harrassment in edu & how not treated as seriously as other forms of bullying - eg Kat Banyard (2011)

Question 19

Black & Difference Feminists

Answer 19

not all girls have same exper - minority ethnic girls often victims of specific stereotypes & assumptions
eh teachers may assume Muslim girls have dif aspirations for career & fam than peers

Question 20

Sharpe (1996)

Answer 20

london school girls in 1970s had completely different priorities & aspirations from sim girls in 1996
1970s = marriage & family
1990s = switched to career

Question 21

Some Improvement

Feminism

Answer 21

fems acknowledge = improvement - point to fem as one main reason
legis changes also reason - 1970 Equal Pay Act & 1976 Sex Discrim Act

Question 22

Feminists Agree on:

Answer 22

edu system does work as an agent of 2nd soc which teaches girls & boys what are seen as universal N’s & V’s & gender scripts that are contemp patri & these values prevent soc change & challenges to patri

Question 23

Criticisms of Feminist View

Answer 23

1. edu = inc fem dom sector - m teachers = women & inc num of female managers
2. edu system inc resulting in female success & male underperform - if this system = designed to make sure men = top positions & women = marg then = failing - m & m girls to HE - Stanworth’s research = out of date

Question 24

Support for Feminist View

Answer 24

= glass ceiling & gender pay gap so edu system may be creating highly qual girls but they lose out to male peers in top jobs & incomes
m likely to take time off for children, work part time & do m of housework = norm by edu system & so even highly qualified women accept this as inevitable & men think = normal