Marxist Analysis: Willis on Education Flashcards
What group of boys did Willis study? How many were there?
Studied 11 working class boys
How long did Willis study the boys? What did they go in to?
1 year at school and then 6 months at work
What did Willis find “The Lads” did when at school?
They messed around to pass the time
Why did the working class boys do this in school according to Willis?
So that they could prepare for the boredom of a factory job
How did the boys act once they got in to a factory?
They continued to be slightly deviant to keep themselves entertained
Why did the working class boys believe that they would only amount to having a job in a factory?
Because it is what their fathers did before them
What conclusion did Willis come to?
The Education system was not an efficient agent of secondary socialisation
How can Willis’ study still be seen to be valid today?
Because anti-school subcultures still exist
What is a Criticism of Willis’ study?
He only observed the boys for the final year of school, meaning he did not see anything that could have occurred in the over decade of previous education which might have made them deviant
