Marxist perspectives on education

Question 1

What do marxists see education as?

Answer 1

Means of social control, encouraging young people to be conformists, accept social position and not do anything to upset current pattern of inequality in power, wealth and income.

Question 2

What 2 aspects did Althusser argue were involved in the main role of education in capitalist society as reproduction of an efficient and obedient labour force?

Answer 2

1. Reproduction of necessary technical skills

2. Reproduction of ruling class ideology and socialization of workers into accepting dominant ideology.

Question 3

False consciousness

Answer 3

Failure by members of social class to recognize their real interests

Question 4

Ideological state apparatus

Answer 4

Agencies which serve to spread ideology and justify power of dominant social class

Question 5

Habitus

Answer 5

Cultural framework and set of ideas possessed by social class, into which people are socialized and influences cultural tastes and choices

Question 6

Cultural capital

Answer 6

Knowledge, language, manners and forms of behaviour, attitudes and values, tastes and lifestyle which give middle class and upper class students who possess in-built advantage in middle-class-controlled education system

Question 7

Hegemony

Answer 7

Dominance in society of ruling classes set of ideas over others, acceptance of and consent to them by rest of society

Question 8

Hegemonic control

Answer 8

Control of working class mainly achieved through hegemony and acceptance of ruling class ideas

Question 9

Subculture

Answer 9

Smaller culture held by group or class of people within main culture of society, some ways different from main , but many aspects in common

Question 10

Anti-school subculture

Answer 10

Group organized set of values, attitudes and behaviour in opposition to main aims of school

Question 11

Sexism

Answer 11

Prejudice or discrimination against people, especially women because of sex

Question 12

What did Althusser that in contemporary western society the main ideological state is the education does?

Answer 12

• Passes on class ideology justifying capitalist system
• Selects people for different social classes as adults, developing right attitudes and behavioure e.g. workers persuaded to accept and submit to exploitation, and managers to rule

Question 13

What did Boudieu argue?

Answer 13

Reproduction of class inequalities

Question 14

What did Illich and Freire say?

Answer 14

Schooling, repression and hegemonic control

Question 15

Key ideas

Answer 15

Capitalist society based on exploitation of workers by owners
Education system meets needs of capitalism- workforce easily exploited

Question 16

Who came up with the idea of hidden curriculum?

Answer 16

Bowles and gintis

Question 17

Myth of meritocracy

Answer 17

Some have better educational opportunties than others

W/C less opportunity and led to believe its their fault

Question 18

Criticisms of Bowles and Gintis

Answer 18

No research to support claims
Very deterministic view
Is ‘hidden curriculum’ really that hidden
Some believe less closely tied to demands of economy

Question 19

Paul willis study

Answer 19

12 W/C boys in last year and half of their schooling to see how schools prepared them for work
Formed counter-school subculture, became manual workers at end of school
Saw through some aspects of capitalism, not accepting ideas on meritocracy
School didnt prepare them to be obedient workers but rebellion led them to unskilled job

Question 20

Who came up with cultural capital?

Answer 20

Bordieu

Question 21

Education as ideological state apparatus

Answer 21

Althusser
Education transmits ideological justification of inequality inherent in capitalist society
Reproduces inequality

Question 22

What is the correspondence principle?

Answer 22

Bowles and Gintis
Organisation of school mirrors workplace
did a study ‘schooling in capitalist america’