Marxism

Question 1

What is the Marxist view?

Answer 1

Conflict =

• Society is based on class division and exploitation, and the ruling-class reproduce and justify this class inequality.

Question 2

Marxists identify 2 main functions of education…

Answer 2

Education serves the needs of capitalism by;

1) . Reproducing inequality = failing generations of w/c pupils.
2) . Legitimising inequality = ideologies stop people questioning their exploitation.

Question 3

Who are the 3 Marxist theorists?

Answer 3

1) . Althusser.
2) . Bowls and Gintis.
3) . Willis.

Question 4

What does Althusser say ISA is?

Answer 4

Capitalists maintain power as they control the state, the state controls peoples ideas, values and beliefs –> which keeps the capitalists in power.

Question 5

How does Althusser say education reproduces class inequality?

Answer 5

Through ISA:

• Fails generations of w/c pupils so they end up with the same jobs as their parents –> ultimately serving the needs of capitalism.

Question 6

How does Althusser say education legitimated inequality?

Answer 6

Through ISA:

• Production of ideologies that persuade workers that inequality is inevitable –> failure is a result of the individual, not capitalism.

Question 7

What does Bowles and Gintis say the role of education is?

Answer 7

Similar to Althusser:

• To reproduce an obedient workforce that will accept inequality as inevitable and fair –> education plants these ideas in their minds.

Question 8

What personality traits does capitalism require, according to Bowles and Gintis?

Answer 8

Submissive and compliant in order for workers to accept hard work, low pay and authority (server capitalism).

Question 9

What is the correspondence principle, according to Bowles and Gintis?

Answer 9

Schools mirror work –> creating workers that will serve capitalism.

Question 10

How do Bowles and Gintis say schools ‘mirror’ the workforce?

Answer 10

1). Alienation =

Lack of control in school and work.

2). Hierarchy of authority =

Accept orders from teachers and managers.

3). Rewards =

Grades for good work (school) and pay or promotion (work).

Question 11

What is the ‘hidden curriculum’, according to Bowles and Gintis?

Answer 11

The ‘lessons’ of the correspondence principle are taught indirectly in school.

• These are gradually accepted as the normal way to think.

Question 12

How is meritocracy and ‘myth’, according to Bowles and Gintis?

Answer 12

Education legitimated inequality by:

• Passing on ideologies that claim success is based on ability, but it’s actually class background –> and this persuades workers to accept inequality.

Question 13

What is Willis’ learning to labour study?

Answer 13

A study on an anti-school subculture called ‘the lads’.

• These boys rejected schools ideologies to indoctrinate them.

Question 14

How many boys were in Willis’ study?

Answer 14

Group of 12 w/c boys.

Question 15

How did Willis’ boys resist capitalist ideologies?

Answer 15

Resisted authority by:

1. Smoking.
2. Disrupting class.
3. Truancy.

Question 16

How did Willis’ boys still meet the needs of capitalism?

Answer 16

Even though they resisted capitalist ideologies:

• They ended up as manual workers - like their fathers.
• This resulted in reproducing class inequality.

Question 17

How are Marxist theories applied to privatisation?

Answer 17

Privatising educational services results in more direct capitalist control.

Question 18

What are the evaluations of Marxism?

Answer 18

1) . Postmodernist.
2) . Feminists.
3) . Marxists disagree among themselves.
4) . Romanticisation.

Question 19

How do Postmodernists criticise Marxists?

Answer 19

Say Marxism is out of date –> correspondence principle no longer operates:

• Where Marxists see inequality, there’s actually diversity and choice.
• Class divisions are no longer important in a post-Fordist society.

Question 20

How do feminists criticise Marxists?

Answer 20

Schools not only reproduce class inequality, but patriarchy too.

• McRobbie = points out that there are no girls in Willis’ study - but his study has been the model for research into educational inequality.

Question 21

How do Marxists disagree on the process of reproducing and legitimising inequality?

Answer 21

1). Bowles and Gintis =

Deterministic view –> pupils passively accept capitalist ideologies.

2). Willis =

Pupils may reject schools values and still end up in w/c jobs.

Question 22

How has Willis’ study been criticised for romanticising the ‘lads’?

Answer 22

He presents them as heroes despite their anti-school behaviour and sexist attitudes.

• His study only has 12 boys –> hard to be representative.