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Unlock This CourseHave you ever wondered why schools have bells, timetables and rules about being on time? Why do we sit in rows, follow instructions and complete tasks set by authority figures? According to some sociologists, these features of education aren't just about learning they're about preparing you for the world of work in a capitalist society.
Key Definitions:
Marxist sociologists argue that education in capitalist societies primarily serves the interests of the ruling class. Schools don't just teach subjects; they train young people to accept hierarchy, follow rules and become the kind of workers capitalism needs. Education helps maintain the class system by preparing working-class students for working-class jobs and middle-class students for middle-class jobs.
From this perspective, schools act as a form of social control. They teach students to accept authority, follow rules and value the traits that make good employees: punctuality, obedience and accepting rewards (grades) for completing assigned tasks. This helps create a workforce that won't challenge the capitalist system but will instead fit neatly into it.
American sociologists Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis developed the 'Correspondence Principle' in their 1976 book "Schooling in Capitalist America". This theory is central to understanding how education might create docile workers.
Bowles and Gintis argued that there's a close match (or 'correspondence') between what happens in schools and what happens in workplaces. The social relationships in education mirror those in the workplace. For example:
Students must obey teachers, just as workers must obey managers. There's a clear power structure with those at the top making decisions for those below.
School days are divided into periods marked by bells. Students learn to be on time and follow schedules, preparing them for the timed nature of work.
Students work for external rewards (grades, praise) rather than for the joy of learning, just as workers work for wages rather than for the pleasure of the task.
Bowles and Gintis studied American schools and found that the traits most rewarded in students weren't intelligence or creativity, but behaviours like punctuality, obedience and docility. They argued that schools reward the personality traits that make good factory workers, not the traits that might lead to questioning the system. Their research suggested that schools in working-class areas emphasised rule-following and obedience, while schools in middle-class areas allowed more independence matching the different types of jobs students were expected to take.
The hidden curriculum refers to the lessons that aren't explicitly taught but are conveyed indirectly through the school experience. It's a crucial concept for understanding how education might create docile workers.
The hidden curriculum includes learning to:
Think about your school day. You arrive at a specific time, move when bells ring, ask permission to speak or leave the room and complete tasks set by someone in authority. These experiences prepare you for workplace discipline. You're learning to fit into hierarchical structures a valuable skill for employers but potentially limiting for developing critical thinking about the system itself.
Not all students passively accept the hidden curriculum. Paul Willis's famous study "Learning to Labour" (1977) shows how some working-class boys actively resist school culture yet ironically still end up in working-class jobs.
Willis studied a group of 12 working-class boys (whom he called 'the lads') in a Midlands school. These boys developed what he called a 'counter-school culture' that rejected academic values and school authority. They:
Ironically, by rejecting school, these boys were preparing themselves for working-class jobs. Their resistance to authority in school actually prepared them for the limited autonomy they would have in factory work. They valued physical toughness and 'having a laugh' traits that would help them cope with monotonous manual labour.
Willis followed his 'lads' into the workplace and found that their anti-school attitudes translated into a kind of shop-floor culture where they found ways to assert control within their limited circumstances. They took pride in their physical strength and ability to cope with tough conditions. While they thought they were rejecting the system, they were actually fulfilling exactly the role capitalism had for them becoming manual workers who could tolerate difficult conditions while finding small ways to feel in control.
While the idea that education creates docile workers is compelling, it's important to consider some criticisms and alternative viewpoints:
Critics argue that:
Education serves multiple purposes beyond creating workers:
How relevant are these theories today? Some sociologists argue that modern capitalism needs different kinds of workers than in the past. Today's economy values flexibility, creativity and problem-solving traits that the traditional 'docile worker' model doesn't encourage.
However, others point out that many aspects of education still prepare students for workplace hierarchy. The emphasis on standardised testing, following instructions and meeting deadlines continues to mirror workplace demands. Additionally, the growing influence of businesses in education (through sponsorships, academies and vocational training) suggests that preparing students for work remains a key function of education.
When writing about education and capitalism, make sure to: