marxist views of the role and purpose of education Flashcards
1
Q
where functionalists see society and education as based on value consensus, what do Marxists see it as based on?
A
- marxists see it as based on class division and capitalist exploitation
2
Q
Marx described capitalism as what kind of system?
A
- two-class system:
- the capitalist class
- the working class
3
Q
who are the capitalist class and how do they make their profits in capitalism?
A
- bourgeoisie are the minority capitalist class who own the means of production (land, factories, machinery, offices, etc)
- they make their profits by exploiting the labour of the majority - the proletariat or working class
4
Q
who are the working class, why are they forced to sell their labour and what is work like under capitalism?
A
- the wc must sell their labour to the capitalists because they own no means of production and have no other income
- as a result, work under capitalism is poorly paid, alienating, unsatisfying, and lacks real worker control
5
Q
what potential outcome does exploitation under capitalism create, according to Marx?
A
- it creates the potential for class conflict
- if workers realise they are being exploited, they may demand higher wages, better conditions, or even the abolition of capitalism
- Marx believed the proletariat would eventually unite to overthrow capitalism and create a classless, equal society
6
Q
how does capitalism continue despite the potential for revolution, according to Marxists?
A
- capitalism continues because the bourgeoisie control the state, including key institutions like the education system
- Marxists believe education functions to prevent revolution and maintain capitalism
7
Q
how do Marxists view the role of the state?
A
- Marxists see the state as the means by which the capitalist ruling class maintain their dominant position
8
Q
which sociologist found state apparatuses?
A
- Althusser
9
Q
according to Althusser, what are the two elements of the state and what is their purpose?
A
- Althusser said the state consists of two apparatuses that serve to keep the bourgeoisie in power:
- the Repressive State Apparatuses (RSAs)
- the Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs).
10
Q
what are repressive state apparatuses, and how do they maintain bourgeois rule?
A
- RSAs maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie through force or the threat of it
- they include institutions like the police, courts, and army, and use physical coercion (force) when necessary to repress wc
11
Q
what are ideological state apparatuses, and how do they maintain bourgeois rule?
A
- ISAs maintain bourgeois rule by controlling people’s ideas, values, and beliefs
- they include institutions like religion, the media, and the education system
12
Q
according to Althusser, what two functions does the education system perform as an ideological state apparatus?
A
- education system reproduces class inequality and legitimates class inequality
13
Q
how does education reproduce class inequality, according to Althusser?
A
- education reproduces class inequality by transmitting it from generation to generation, failing each successive generation of wc pupils
14
Q
how does education legitimate (justify) class inequality, according to Althusser?
A
- education legitimates class inequality by producing ideologies that disguise its true cause
- these ideologies persuade workers to accept inequality as inevitable and believe they deserve their subordinate position, making them less likely to challenge capitalism
15
Q
which sociologists develop Althusser’s ideas further?
A
- Bowles and Gintis
16
Q
according to Bowles and Gintis, what is the role of the education system in capitalist society?
A
- education system reproduces an obedient workforce suited to their role as alienated and exploited workers
- it instills attitudes, behaviours, and personality traits that make workers accept hard work, low pay, and authority, thus accepting inequality as inevitable
17
Q
what did Bowles and Gintis conclude from their study of 237 New York high school students regarding the traits rewarded by schools?
A
- schools reward traits that create submissive, compliant workers
- students who showed independence and creativity received low grades
- students who showed obedience and discipline (e.g., punctuality) received high grades
- they argue that education produces obedient workers needed by capitalism
- it does not encourage personal development
- instead, it stunts and distorts students’ natural growth
18
Q
what do Bowles and Gintis argue about the parallels between schooling and work in capitalist society? (the correspondence principle and hidden curriculum)
A
- there are close parallels between schooling and work
- both schools and workplaces are hierarchies
- head teachers or bosses are at the top making decisions and giving orders
- pupils or workers are at the bottom, expected to obey
- schooling takes place in “the long shadow of work”
19
Q
what is the ‘correspondence principle’ according to Bowles and Gintis? (correspondence principle and hidden curriculum)
A
- it refers to the parallels between schooling and workplace
- the relationships and structures in education mirror or correspond to those found in work
- these similarities help prepare students for their future roles in the capitalist workforce
20
Q
how do Bowles and Gintis say the correspondence principle operates in schools? (correspondence principle and hidden curriculum)
A
- it operates through the hidden curriculum
- these are the ‘lessons’ learned in school without being directly taught
- through everyday school life, pupils learn to:
- accept hierarchies
- embrace competition
- work for extrinsic rewards (eg grades, praise)
21
Q
according to Bowles and Gintis, how does the hidden curriculum affect wc pupils?
A
- schooling prepares wc pupils for their future roles as exploited workers
- reproduces the workforce that capitalism requires
- this process perpetuates class inequality from generation to generation
22
Q
what does Phil cohen say about correspondence principle and hidden curriculum?
A
- youth training schemes serve capitalism
- teach young workers attitudes and values, not genuine job skills
- prepare them for roles in a subordinate labour force
- lower their aspirations so they are more likely to accept low-paid work
23
Q
how does the education system help prevent rebellion against inequality, according to Bowles and Gintis?
A
- capitalist society is based on inequality, which can lead the poor to see it as unfair and rebel
- the education system helps to prevent rebellion
- it does this by legitimating class inequalities
- produces ideologies that:
- explain inequality
- justify it as fair, natural, and inevitable
24
Q
what do Bowles and Gintis mean by the ‘myth of meritocracy’ in education?
A
- they describe education system as a ‘giant myth-making machine’
- key myth it promotes is the ‘myth of meritocracy’
- meritocracy claims that:
- everyone has equal opportunity to succeed
- rewards are based on ability and effort
- those who achieve the most deserve their success because they are the most able and hardworking
25
what do Bowles and Gintis argue about meritocracy compared to functionalists like Parsons?
- unlike functionalists (eg Parsons), Bowles and Gintis argue that **meritocracy is a myth**
- they believe meritocracy **does not exist** in reality
- **evidence** shows the main factor influencing income is:
- family background
- social class
- **not** determined by **individual ability or educational achievement**
26
how does the myth of meritocracy benefit the higher classes, according to Bowles and Gintis?
- it **disguises** the fact that **class background determines success**
- justifies the **privileges** of the higher classes
- makes it seem like they earned their success through **fair competition at school**
- persuades the wc to see **inequality** as **legitimate**
- makes it **less likely** that wc will try to **overthrow capitalism**
27
what is the ‘poor-are-dumb’ theory of failure according to Bowles and Gintis?
- education system **justifies poverty** using the **‘poor-are-dumb’ theory of failure**
- blames the individual for their poverty (eg “I wasn’t clever enough” or “I didn’t work hard enough”)
- shifts blame away from capitalism
- helps to **reconcile workers to their exploited position**
- makes them **less likely to rebel** against the system
28
what do Marxists agree that capitalism cannot function without? what do Bowles and Gintis see edu as and Willis?
- a **workforce** that’s willing to **accept education**
- see education as **reproducing and legitimating class inequality**
- edu ensures wc pupils are slotted into and learn to **accept jobs** that are **poorly paid and alienating**
- **however**, Bowles and Gintis see edu as a fairly straightforward process of **indoctrination** into **myth of meritocracy**, **Willis’** study shows that wc pupils can **resist** such attempts to indoctrinate them
29
what is Willis interested in as a Marxist?
- the way **schooling serves capitalism**
- **however**, he combines this with **interactionist approach** that focuses on **meanings pupils give** to their situation and how these enable them to **resist indoctrination**
30
briefly explain Willis’ lads’ counter-culture study
- used **qualitative rm** (ppt observation and unstructured interviews)
- studies **counter-school culture** of **’the lads’** (group of **12 wc boys**) as they make transition from **school to work**
- lads form **distinct counter-culture** opposing school
- scornful of **conformist boys** (ear’oles as they listen to teachers unlike lads)
- have their **own brand of intimidatory humour**, ‘taking the piss’ out of the ear’oles and girls
- find school **boring and meaningless**
- smoke, drink, disrupt classes and truancy
- for the lads, these acts of defiance are ways of **resisting school**
- reject school’s meritocratic ideology that wc pupils can achieve mc jobs through hard work
31
what similarity does Willis note in his study?
- between **lads’ anti-school counter-culture** and **shop floor culture of male manual workers**
- both cultures: see **manual work** as **superior** + **intellectual work** as **inferior**
- lads identify with male manual work - explains why they see themselves as **superior** both to girls and ear’oles who aspire to **non-manual** jobs
32
what does Willis’ study explain about lads’ counter-culture?
- their **resistance to school** helps them to slot into very jobs - **inferior** in terms of **skill, pay + conditions*( - that capitalism needs someone to perform
- eg: used to **boredom and self-amusement in school**, they don’t expect **work to be satisfying** and **easily find ways to cope with tedious, unskilled labour**
- eg: their **rebellious behaviour** ensures they fail to earn qualifications, leading to **unskilled jobs**
- by **resisting school’s ideology**, lads’ counter-culture ensures they’re **destined** for **unskilled work** capitalism needs someone to perform
33
strength: myth of meritocracy
- useful in exposing myth of meritocracy
- show role that education plays as **ISA**, serving **interests of capitalism** by **reproducing and legitimating class inequality**
34
weakness: postmodernists
- criticise **Bowles and Gintis’ correspondence principle**
- today’s **post-Fordism economy** requires schools to produce **very different kind of labour force** from one described by Marxists
- **postmodernists** argue that education now **reproduces diversity**, not inequality
35
weakness: Marxists disagreement with one another
- disagree with one another about **how** reproduction and legitimation takes place
- **Bowles and Gintis** take **deterministic view**
- assume pupils have **no free will** and **passively accept indoctrination**
- approach **fails to explain why** many pupils **reject school’s values**
- **however**, **Willis** rejects view that school **simply ‘brainwashes’** pupils into passively accepting fate
- by combining **marxist and interactionist approaches**, he shows how **pupils may resist school** and yet how this still leads them into **wc jobs**
36
weakness: Willis’ study
- **Willis’** account of **lads romanticises them**
- portraying them as **wc heroes** despite anti-social and sexist behaviour
- **small scale study** of **only 12 boys in one school** is also **unlikely to be representative** of other pupils’ experience and would be **risky** to **generalise findings**
37
weakness: critical modernists
- **Morrow and Torres**
- criticise Marxists for taking a **’class first’** approach that sees class as **key inequality** and **ignores** all other kinds
- instead, they argue society is now **more diverse**
- see **non-class inequalities**, eg ethnicity, gender and sexuality as **equally important**
- argue that sociologists must explain how education **reproduces and legitimates** all forms of inequalities and how different forms of inequality are **inter-related**
38
weakness: feminist
- similar to **postmodernist**
- **MacDonald** argues **Bowles and Gintis** ignore fact that schools reproduce not only capitalism, but **patriarchy**
- **similarly**, **McRobbie** points out **females** are largely **absent** from **Willis’ study**
39
strength: Willis’ work
- stimulated **many researches** into how edu **reproduces and legitimates** other inequalities (following on from postmodernist and feminist)
- **Connolly**
- explores how education reproduces **both ethnic and gender inequalities**
- other research: Sewell, Evans and Mac an Ghaill
40
contemporary:
- **persistent educational attainment gaps**: disadvantaged pupils in england are, on average, 19 months behind wealthier peers by gcse time, showing how education reinforces class inequality.
- **regional disparities in qualifications**: large gaps in qualification levels between regions like london and east yorkshire highlight how education reproduces unequal access to opportunity.
- **limited access to elite universities for disadvantaged students**: proposals to cap private school admissions at elite universities show how access is skewed in favour of the privileged
