Marxist theory on role of education

Key theorists
1. Althusser
  1. ISA's and RSA's
2. Bowles and Gintis
  1. Schooling in Capitalist America
ISA's and RSA's
1. Repressive state apparatuses maintain bourgeoisie rule by force or threat
  1. Police, Courts, Army
2. Ideological state apparatus' maintain rule of bourgeoisie by controlling people's ideas, values and beliefs
  1. Religion, mass media, education system
3. Education performs two functions:
  1. Reproduces class inequality by failing working class pupils continuously
  2. Justifies class inequality by producing misleading ideologies that teach them to accept subordinate positions
Schooling in capitalist America
1. Role of education
  1. Produce obedient workers
    1. Rewards for characteristics linked with obedience and discipline
  2. Meritocracy
    1. Legitimises inequality as fair, natural and inevitable
    2. Idea that everyone has equal opportunities but achieves based on natural talent and hard work
  3. Justifies poverty - poor are dumb
    1. And those born into poverty?
2. 'Correspondence principle'
  1. School mirrors work
    1. Hierarchies
    2. Hard-workers achieve
  2. Taught through Hidden Curricululm
    1. HC - subliminally teaches lessons such as hierarchy and competition
      1. Rebellion less likely
Criticisms
1. Post-Fordist economy produces different kind of worker
  1. Specialist skills, no longer labour
2. Ignore other kinds of inequality

Resource summary

	Created by dottydiva96 over 10 years ago