1. THE MARXIST PERSPECTIVE On education
Week 4

2. Aims and Objectives:
To understand the Marxist perspective of education.
To evaluate…

3. Marxism RE-CAP Marxist key thoughts are:
That the Capitalist Society is divided into two classes:
The Bourgeoisie – own and control the wealth
The Proletariat – sell their labour to the bourgeoisie
The ruling classes:
maintain their wealth by exploiting the lower classes.
have control over institutions in society relating to religion, family, law, mass media and education.
use control of these institutions to control the way the lower classes think.
Marxism RE-CAP

4. Traditional Marxists believe that the education system works in the interests of the ruling classes.
They consider that the education system performs three functions:
1. It reproduces class inequality;
2. It legitimises class inequality;
3. It works in the interest of capitalist employers.
These in turn support the existing distribution of power and wealth.
The Traditional view

5. EDUCATION reProduces Class Inequality
The higher classes use their material and cultural capital to get their children into the best schools. The wealthy therefore tend to get the best education, as they can afford elite schools where the classes are small, facilities first rate and cultural trips contribute to exam success and then middle class jobs.
Lower class children tend to get a poorer standard of education, attending an overcrowded school with poorer resources and end up in working class jobs.

6. EDUCATION Legitimises class inequality
Marxists argue that in reality money determines how good an education you have.
However, schools teach the lower classes that they have an equal chance with the higher classes and success is dependant on effort and ability.
Schools reproduce class inequality because higher social classes achieve more because they have access to cultural capital and the Education Act 1988 benefited them.
Working classes less likely to go to university - fear of debt.
EDUCATION Legitimises class inequality

7. education works in the interests of employers
Values learnt in school are to prepare pupils for the workplace. Marxists suggest these values are taught through experience of attending school rather than the curriculum. Therefore pupils learn values necessary to tow the line in menial manual jobs.
Pupils to teachers = workers to managers;
Authority of teachers = authority of managers
Motivation by grades = motivation of wages
education works in the interests of employers

8. Bourdieu in the 1970s said the well off pass on cultural capital to their children which they use to achieve high grades i.e language skills.
Bowles and Gintis wrote in 1976 about the hidden curriculum; that the key purpose of education was not the lessons but a compliant attitude and acceptance of authority. The education system is where we learn to obey others who are not our parents.
Boudon agrees that educational success depends on family wealth and it is your position in class structure that determines your level of educational success. Reflection: is this still true considering the availability of EMA loans, hardship loans and bursaries?
AGREEMENT

9. Paul Willis compiled research in 1977 by observing and interviewing 12 working class rebellious boys regarding their attitude to school. He argued that rebelling is evidence not all students are passive to the hidden curriculum. He criticised traditional Marxism saying some actively reject the values that benefit the ruling class but agreed that this still ultimately leads to workers being easily exploited by future employers.
CRITICISM

10. Conclusion For Marxists education is:
about maintaining order, control and passing the dominant culture on to the dominant class.
a process where the working class are failed by the system and the higher class succeed.
where the working class are manipulated into believing that the system is fair through ‘false class consciousness’ i.e. exams appear fair but the higher classes have an economic and cultural advantage.
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Conclusion

11. GROUP TASK articles
CONSIDER THE MARXIST VIEW OF ONE OF THE ARTICLES AND BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS WITH THE CLASS
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