marxist view on education

Question 1

how does Marx describe the class systems?

Answer 1

the capitalist class are the employers that own the means of production through making profit by exploiting working class and the working class are forced to sell their labour power to the capitalist class where they are poorly paid and have no control

Question 2

what does Althusser argue about the state apparatus?

Answer 2

the repressive state apparatus maintains the rule of middle class by force and threat through police
the ideological state apparatus maintains the rule of middle class by controlling people’s ideas and beliefs through media

Question 3

how does Althusser see education as reproducing capitalism?

Answer 3

education reproduces dominant ideology of ruling class to ensure working class are being obedient workers for low pay and also promotes idea of meritocracy but working class has less opportunity

Question 4

criticisms of Althusser

Answer 4

functionalists see this as beneficial
his ideas has limited evidence
too deterministic

Question 5

what do Bowles and Gintis argue about the education system?

Answer 5

education serves purpose of ruling class through reproducing the workforce by preparing next generations of workers for roles in capitalist society, succeeded through the hidden curriculum

Question 6

what does Bowles and Gintis argue about similarities between school and work in capitalist society?

Answer 6

hierarchies, conformity, power, rewards, sanctions, punctuality, status

Question 7

criticisms of Bowels and Gintis

Answer 7

functionalists suggest their ideas benefit society
workers aren’t being produced with proper skills for employment

Question 8

what is Willis’ study about lads’ counter culture?

Answer 8

studied a group of 12 working class boys as they transitioned from school to work who find school boring and meaningless and they smoke, drink and disrupt class to resist school where they identify strongly with manual work which could show they are destined for unskilled work and they failed to obtain qualifications

Question 9

criticisms of Willis

Answer 9

seems to romanticise the ‘lads’ and portray them as heroes despite their sexist attitudes
small scale study is unrepresentative of other pupils’ experiences
feminists see schools reproducing the patriarchy