MARXIST THEORY

Question 1

Marxist theory on the role of

education

Answer 1

education system is part of the superstructure and, as such, it exists solely to maintain capitalism and serve the interests of the ruling class. It does so by creating the ruling class ideology in order to maintain false class consciousness.

Question 2

Althusser

Answer 2

The education system protects the ruling class power because it is a part of the ideological state apparatus. It fulfils this function by:
1.Reproducing class inequality 
by failing each successive generations of the working class so they can’t better themselves. Thus, the poor stay poor and the rich rich, e.g. bottom sets and streams and entered for foundation tier exams.

2.legitimising class inequality
edu creates and spreads the r/c ideology which then creates FCC – edu convinces w/c students that they deserve the subordinate position in society which disguises the truth, e.g. making w/c students believe they failed because they didn’t work hard enough.

Question 3

Criticisms of Althusser

Answer 3

Morrow and Torres - ignores other factors such as gender and ethnicity that the edu system also works against. Such as Teachers having racialised expectations for e/m

Deterministic-assumes students will passively accept the r/c ideology

Question 4

What is the correspondence principle

Bowles and Gintis

Answer 4

idea that schools mirror the workplace. Does this by

1. Hierarchy= in school there are headteachers and in workplace’s there are bosses
2. Alienation(no control)=Students do not choose their t/t, what or how they learn and in workplace’s Workers do not decide their shift rota.
3. Fragmentation=Sets and streams, years groups while in work places Each worker only does one specific task.
4. Extrinsic reward=Students are motivated by grades. Workers motivated by pay and promotion
5. Competition=Grades, teachers’ approval. in the same way workers compete for promotion.

Question 5

Bowles and Gintis

Answer 5

The role of edu is to maintain capitalism and it does so by:
1.Reproducing an obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable. It does this through the correspondence principle which prepares students for Fordism.B&G argue that the correspondence principle operates through the hidden curriculum, e.g.students learn to be punctual and obedient,which turns them into the kind of worker Fordism needs.

2.Legitimating class inequality by producing the r/c ideology which justifies inequality and makes it appear as just and fair. B&G say education is a myth making machine – the biggest myth it creates is the myth of meritocracy. It indoctrinates the w/c into believing that everyone has an equal chance to succeed. This protects the privileges of the r/c as the w/c believe they failed / poor because they didn’t work hard enough. This prevents the revolution.

Question 6

Criticisms of BOwles and Gintis

Answer 6

• Deterministic – assumes students will passively accept the r/c ideology
• Feminists argue that edu maintain patriarchy, rather than capitalism and B&G ignore gender inequality created by the edu system as they only focus on class inequality.

-Postmodernist theory argues that B&G’s theory is outdated – the economy has moved from the secondary to tertiary and quaternary sector and these need highly edu., skilled, imaginative, creative workers.
Postmodernist theory argues that edu today creates the kind of workers the quaternary sector needs.

Question 7

Willis

Answer 7

Studied 12 white w/c lads in year 11 as they moved rom school into work.
Willis’ theory is less determinist than A and B&G’s as his research proves that students have free will and can reject the r/c ideology. The lads had sexist attitudes and viewed manual labour to intellectual work which they saw as effeminate and inferior so they bullied other boys who they called the ear’oles because they were doing well at school. The lads truanted, smoked and disrupted lessons.The reason for his behaviour is that they realised meritocracy is a myth – they didn’t develop the FCC. This is because their dads worked hard in factories, but were badly paid so they realised hard work does not bring rewards. As a result, they rebelled against school as they did not believe the r/c ideology spread by the school. However, their rebellion caused them to underachieve so they could only get the low paid jobs on the assembly line. This means, capitalism got the kind of worker it needs.

Question 8

Criticism of Willis

Answer 8

His research can’t be generalised as he only studied 12 white w/c boys.

Feminists argue Willis over-emphasises class inequality in edu and ignore gender inequality.

Romanticises the lads – turns them into working class
heroes despite their anti-social and sexist behaviour.