1. What can you recall about Marxism?
Try and write down at least three things.
If you get stuck, share ideas with a partner

2. What can Marxists tell us about education and differences in attainment?
Writers in the Marxist tradition of sociology claim that the education system is a conspiracy which exists to deny the children of the working class access to an understanding of their true class position. Your current task is to assess that claim and to support your arguments with evidence

3. Sociological Targets To understand Marxist views of education.
To evaluate those views.
To use sociological evidence and research to support your judgements.

4. Personal targets To write an essay length answer
To contribute to whole class discussion in an orderly fashion
To think critically about sociology explanations of inequality in education

5. What is Marxism?
Marxists see capitalist society as being ruled by the economy.
The minority, the ruling class or bourgeoisie rule the majority, namely the workers or proletariat.
The bourgeoisie have the wealth and the power to rule.
The proletariat are exploited because they are not treated fairly. This is the basis of class inequality.

6. Marxism summarised
Education reproduces the inequalities and social relations of production of Capitalist Society.
Education serves to legitimate these inequalities under the guise of Meritocracy.

7. Louis Althusser
Althusser believed that education socialises working class children into accepting their subordinate status to the middle class.
Education conveys the ideology of the ruling class.
Education prepares individuals for the world of work, in order to accept their position in a capitalist society.

8. What do you think of these ideas?
Have a minute of discussion with your study partners

9. Bowles and Gintis
Bowles and Gintis (1976), say the main function of education in capitalist countries is to create workers.
Correspondence theory suggests that educational inequality mirrors the inequality of wider society.
If capitalism is to succeed it must have an industrious and obedient workforce that is too divided to challenge the authority of the rulers.
The education system succeeds in fulfilling this aim by means of the hidden curriculum

10. What do you think of these ideas?
Have a minute of discussion with your study partners

11. Ivan Illich (173)
Schools kill creativity, insist on conformity, and offer indoctrination into capitalistic society.
Children learn to accept authority in an unthinking fashion and this leads them to accept government dictats in the same way.

12. What do you think of these ideas?
Have a minute of discussion with your study partners

13. Paul Willis (1977)
Resistance is futile
Did an ethnography of twelve anti-school boys ‘the lads’
These boys rejected school and other children within it, presenting themselves as superior
Willis claims that working class children choose to fail in school as a rejection of capitalism
Their rejection of school is an act of resistance

14. What do you think of these ideas?
Have a minute of discussion with your study partners

15. Two Marxist viewpoints
Traditional Marxist
Louis Althusser
Schools pass on messages that people accept without question. They are socialised into accepting capitalism
Neo- Marxism
Paul Willis
Children can see through the ideology, but it doesn’t matter. The reality is low pay work, poverty and oppression regardless.

16. What is evaluation?
Evaluation is the process of judging the value of a research project, an idea or a concept, using further concepts, studies and theories to support the judgement that is made.
Strengths and weaknesses are identified in an evaluation

17. What are the strengths of Marxism?
It points out how ideology is transmitted within schools via the hidden curriculum.
It recognises conflict of interest in schools; not everyone shares values.
It points out the inequalities of both opportunity and outcome in the system

18. And the weaknesses?
It assumes teachers are unaware of class dynamics and are all middle class agents
Many working class children do succeed in the education system
It overemphasises class and ignores other structural inequalities: ethnicity and gender

19. Outline and assess Marxist views of education.
Criteria for success
Outline Marxism
Outline what the theorists say
Assess the strengths of Marxist thinking
Assess the weakness of Marxist thinking.
Refer to AO1 knowledge about the educational system of the UK
Use the concepts of sociology
Refer to studies, writers or theory in your answer.
Use evaluative language in your answer

20. Design a poster comparing and contrasting functionalist and Marxist views of education
Criteria for success:
There will be a simple explanation of each theory
Two broad similarities between the theories will be identified
Two major differences between the two theories will be identified.
Images and colour will be used effectively to highlight key points.

21. Popular theories Critical theories
thinking
Functionalism and the New Right
Marxism and liberation theory
work
To select people for the right jobs in society
To ensure that the children of the wealthy and powerful get the best jobs
ideas
Education offers people morals and values
Education trains people to accept a view of the world that is conformist and passive so that poorer people can be exploited
socialisation
People are trained in skills for future life
People learn not to question authority and are offered an education which limits them to specific workplace roles
curriculum
People are given the curriculum that they will need to do well in society.
The curriculum is tailored to the needs of those in power and reflects ideological beliefs
Social mobility
Education exists to provide a route up through society for the most able
Education serves to keep most people in their place.

22. Independent study
Develop your notes on this topic by looking at the e-book on the NGfL-Cymru website.
Add notes from books and downloads on Marxism to your folders.