Marxist Functions of education Flashcards
Functions of education according to Marxists
-To maintain, reproduce and to legitimise class inequality by producing conformist and efficient workers who accept their social position, presenting capitalism as fair and meritocratic
Ideological state aparatus-
-The ruling class influence our behaviour and control the populace to accept capitalism and to not revolt through the use of institutional apparatus
ISA control the thoughts, beliefs and ideas of the population and the working classes through the use of institutions which spread ruling class ideology and socialise people into accepting it and conforming to the capitalist system, preventing revolution
-Education is a primary ISA which prepares children to accept a life of exploitation and to become good, efficient and conformist workers by spreading dominant ideology
-Done through teaching skills needed,reproducing dominant ideology and socialising workers into acceptance of the capitalism system producing submissive workers who dont question capitalism as they see it as fair
-Also legitimises inequality by placing the blame of underachievement on individuals rather than looking how the educational system is structured in a way that disadvantages the wc
-this legitimises, maintains and reproduces inequality
- Legitimising inequality
Reproducing inequality
Bordieu argues that the knowledge pupils are tested on in schools reflects the habitus, cultural framework of ideas, tastes, media etc of the ruling class. This gives middle and upper class children cultural capital, knowledge, values, attitudes and lifestyles which give them an advantage in education as they are in allignment with the habitus of the educational system and thus are more familiar with the language, books, etc taught in the educational system than working class children who do not have cultural capital and are not familiar with upper class habitus giving them a disadvantage and causing underachievement, reproducing inequality as the working class end up exploited in low paid jobs, maintaing the capitalist system and class inequality.
- Producing efficient and conformist workers
-Outlined by Althusser, used as an isa to encourage children to accept the dominant ideology and capitalist system and to conform to their social role and exploitation and not challenge the system
-Developed by Bowles and Gints who argues the hidden curriculum corresponds with working life to condition children into accepting the alienating conditions of working life and to become efficient and conformist workers, benefiting the capitalist system
-E.g, reinforcements for rules and respect for teachers teaches us unquestioning authority, ‘boring’ tasks like homework teaches us to accept mundane tasks we will be given by our employer, punctuality conditions us to be efficient workers etc
- legitimising class inequality
Class inequality is presented as fair, ruling class ideology that society is ‘meritocratic’ and based on effort whilst overlooking material barriers and the structure of capitalist society gives people a disadvantage, encourages people to blame themselves preventing class conciousness and encouraging people to accept capitalism as they see it as a fair system.
Limitations-Deterministic
-Cannot explain why some working class children do achieve highly despite lacking cultural capital, assumes achievement is determined by class which is untrue-doesnt inherently reproduce class inequality, but can be a means of social mobility for some people -too deterministic and lacks validity
Limitations-Pessimistic-Functionalism
-Overlooks that education plays beneficial and essential functions which benefit society as a whole not just the dominant class because they provide social stability and reduce conflict by establishing value consensus through socialisation into shared values, producing an effective workforce and economy benefits everyone in society and ensures society doesnt collapse and remains civilised-overlooks the beneficial and essential functions of schooling thus is too pessimistic and invalid
-Limitations-May not produce conformist workers
-Paul Willis-some working class boys directly rejected the school system rather than conforming to their expectations they made anti school subcultures
-Subjects like marxism are explored in schools thus it can be seen to be allowing critical thinking
C: Could be argued the hidden curriuclum still conditions us into acceptance of working life, even if it allows some criticism this isnt real challenge and it still produces conformist citizens BUT this may be beneficial for society as a whole as argued by Functionalists.
