marxism - education

What type of theory is Marxism?

A conflict theory → on the surface there is no conflict, but there is clear conflict within society

Who is Marxism named after?

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

What did Mark‘s believe the capitalist Society is divided into?

2 classes → a ruling class (the bourgeoisie) and a working class (the proletariat)

What do the ruling class own?

Means of production → land, raw materials, machinery

What do the working class sell? And what do they get in return?

Labour, in return for money or wages

Why is the relationship between the two classes one of conflict?

The bourgeoisie want the proletariat to work more hours for less pay, whereas the proletariats want to work less hours for more pay → can lead to exploitation

What did Mark‘s believe this conflict would eventually lead to?

The overthrow of capitalism→ the workers revolution would occur, where the bourgeoisie are depleted and the system moves from capitalism to communism

What needs to happen for the situation to change?

The proletariat need to realise their exploitation in order to start a revolution

What ideology does society have?

A ruling class ideology → all beliefs and value support the domination of the ruling class

What does this ideology create?

A false consciousness which prevents people from seeing the reality of their situation

What does Marx argue the working class need to do?

Gain class consciousness (realise their true situation) in order to revolt

What do Marxist believe about education?

It has two main functions in capitalist society:

• to reproduce the inequalities and social relations of production in capitalist Society

• serves to legitimise these inequalities through the myth of meritocracy

However, what did Marx not predict?

The creation of the middle class → functions to distract the proletariat from realising the gap

Who are the 4 main Marxist sociologists

• Karl Marx

• Althusser

• Bowles & Gintis

• Paul Willis

What sociologist came up with the idea of ideological state apparatus? (ISA)

Althusser (1971)

What are the two ‘apparatus’ or elements that Althusser believes serves to keep the bourgeoisie in power?

• Repressive state apparatus (RSA) → police, courts, military

• Ideological state apparatus (ISA) → religion, education, media

How does the RSA control the proletariat?

Physical control through institutions such as the military

How does the ISA control the proletariat?

Controls the way the working class think → pass on dominant ideology (which supports the ruling class) through institutions such as the family and education

If the ISA is successful, why will the RSA have less work to do?

no physical force will be required, because the ideology has already been passed on

What does the education system do to control the proletariat? (2)

• passes on ruling class ideology and teaches basic skills needed to perform within capitalist society

• The working class are essentially forced to fail, and end up taking low status, low paid, alienating work role

What does Althusser believe is the most important ISA?

Education

Consequently, what does Althusser believe education reproduces? (2)

• Class inequality → by transmitting it from generation to generation, it helps reproduce the class system

• teaches working class students to accept their lower positions in society and encourage middle and upper class units to see themselves as natural leaders

what does Althusser reject?

Meritocracy→ he argues this is a myth

What sociologist came up with the correspondence principle

Bowles & Gintis

What do they say the major role of education in a capitalist society is?

The reproduction of labour power → this workforce is reproduced in two ways

What are the two ways this is done through? (2)

• hidden curriculum (the way school operates in the ‘long shadow of work’)

• school legitimises inequality and the class structure

What actually is the correspondence principle

Things taught to you in school to prepare you for life in capitalist society (operates through the hidden curriculum)

What are some elements of school which reflect work in capitalist society (3)

• hierarchy of authority amongst teachers (head, deputy, between teachers and students) → reflects authority between boss and colleagues

• alienation through students lack of control over education (curriculum, timetable) → reflects work schedule

• levels of education (lower levels = few choices + close supervision, high levels = trusted to get on with independent work) → reflects fighting for seniority within a company

Where did bowles and Gintis do their research?

America

What is one criticism of some of the elements of the correspondence principle now?

A lot of people now work from home

how do Bowles & Gintis argue education legitimises class inequality (to stop the proletariat rebelling)

By producing ideologies that serve to explain and justify why inequality is fair, natural and inevitable → the myth of meritocracy

What do they think about meritocracy (2)

• evidence suggests the main factor determining whether someone has high income is their family + class background

• meritocracy makes it seem like the higher classes gained privileges by succeeding in fair competition in school

What does the education system therefore justify

Poverty, through Bowles and Gintis’ ‘poor are dumb’ theory of failure

What is the ‘poor are dumb’ theory of failure

Blaming poverty on the individual rather than capitalism → ‘I’m poor because I wasn’t clever enough/didn’t work hard enough at school’)

What is another thing Bowles and Gintis believe about the role of education

It reproduces an obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable

What research did they do for this

Looked at 237 New York high school students

What did they conclude

Schools reward personality traits which make a submissive, compliant worker → those who are obedient and punctual will get high grades

What is Paul Willis

A neo Marxist (modern) from 1977

What study did he do

“the lads” → a group of w.c. boys in a midlands school, who were disruptive, and had a very negative attitude to school

What did Willis say they formed

An anti school subculture

What did the boys praise

truancy, bad behaviour, discrimination (racism, sexism, homophobia) → DIDN’T want praise from a teacher

What are some other things the lads did (3)

• formed a counter school subculture which valued masculinity, defiance and humour whilst ridiculing academic success

• looked down on conformists students, calling them “ear’oles” + resisted social mobility, calling it unrealistic

• embraced the idea of w.c. jobs, seeing manual labour as authentic and masculine

What can this be used to criticise

parsons, Durkheim, Bowles & Gintis

• there was no value consensus, students were actively rejecting norms and values of society (not obedient workers like Bowles & Gintis argue)

How were the lads preparing themselves for life after work

They knew how much messing around with they could get away with in school and work when bored

criticism of Willis’ research

It has been suggested that the boys may have acted off up more to ‘show off’ to Willis. This might have occurred when they were being observed → the Hawthorne effect.

What is the Hawthorne effect?

The idea that people behave differently when they knew they’re being watched and when they’re being interviewed (the interviewer effect)

However, how does this study also support Marxism

The working class boys were actively choosing to fail, but this ultimately benefitted capitalism because class inequality was reproduced → meaning a revolution would not happen