The role of the education system

Question 1

What does Althusser argue for with respect to Marxism and the Education System?

Two points.

Answer 1

Althusser (1971) argues that the role of education as an agent of socialisation is dominated by the hidden curriculum. The hidden curriculum is not taught formally but is taught informally to students. Marxists believe that a ruling class ideology is taught through the hidden curriculum which encourages acceptance of the capitalist system and also conformity.

Althusser argues that overall, students are not provided with educational knowledge that challenges the existence of capitalism

Question 2

What do Marxist believe about the education system?

Answer 2

Marxists believe that education socialises students into an uncritical acceptance of hierarchy, obedience and failure. The working class are taught to see failure as their own fault rather than seeing it as the result of certain processes that benefit the ruling classes as they require an unskilled, uneducated manual labour force.

Question 3

Do Functionalists agree or disagree about Marxist view on Education?

Answer 3

Functionalists disagree with the Marxist views that education socialises the working class into accepting social inequalities and argue that it actually socialises all individuals into a common culture based on a value consensus.

Question 4

What did Interactionist Dennis Wrong say about Marxism and Education?

Answer 4

Interactionist, Dennis Wrong (1961) argues that socialisation through the education system is not ‘passive’, but a negotiated process whereby the individual actively engages in the process

Question 5

Do Neo-Marxists agree with Marxism or Dennis Wrong about Marxism and Education?

Also who’s study is a useful reference?

Answer 5

Neo-Marxists (Labelling + Marxism) also agree with this view.

Paul Willis’ (1977) study into ‘The Lads’ highlights the rebelling of the capitalist ideology in education and created an anti-school subculture.