Marxist View

Overview

• Do not see education as benefitting pupils - conflict theory

• Education is under control of bourgeoisie - maintained for their benefit

Bourdieu - education + exploitation

• Upper and middle classes same cultural capital as schools - working class fail

• Upper classes get best jobs and stay - their children stay at top, unfair class system continues

Bowles and Gintis - exploitation

• Correspondence theory - schools organised to achieve what the upper class want

• For capitalism/ exploitation to continue upper classes need a passive workforce who do what they want them to do

• Employers need obedient workers - pupils who break rules receive sanctions

• Private schools have a curriculum which prepares its pupils to be future leaders

• Education system not meritocratic - rigged in favour of ruling elite

• There is a myth that everyone can succeed

Althusser - ISA

• State consists of two apparatuses - serve to keep bourgeoisie in power

• Repressive state apparatuses - maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie by force

• Includes police + courts - use force to repress working class

• Ideological state apparatuses - maintain the rule of bourgeoisie by controlling ideas and beliefs

• Includes religion, mass media + education

Althussers two functions

• Education reproduces class inequality - transmits it from generation to generation

• Education legitimises class inequality by producing ideologies that disguise its true cause - persuade workers and accept that inequality is inevitable and deserve their position

• By accepting this idea, less likely to challenge capitalism