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Unlock This CourseMarxist sociologists view education systems as institutions that help maintain capitalism and class inequality. Unlike functionalists who see schools as meritocratic institutions that benefit society, Marxists argue that schools primarily serve the interests of the ruling class and help reproduce the existing social order.
Key Definitions:
According to Marxists, schools serve capitalism in several key ways:
This refers to the unwritten, unofficial lessons that students learn in school:
American Marxist sociologists Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis developed the correspondence theory in their book "Schooling in Capitalist America" (1976). They argued that there's a close relationship (or 'correspondence') between what happens in schools and what happens in workplaces.
Bowles and Gintis identified several ways that school experiences mirror workplace experiences:
Schools have clear power structures with headteachers at the top, then teachers, then students - just like workplace hierarchies with bosses, managers and workers.
Students follow strict timetables, must be punctual and can only take breaks at set times - preparing them for workplace time discipline.
Schools use grades and qualifications as rewards for conformity and achievement, similar to how workplaces use wages and promotions.
Bowles and Gintis argued that different types of schools prepare students for different types of work. Working-class students typically experience more authoritarian education focused on following rules, while middle-class students receive education that encourages more independence and creativity - matching the different types of jobs they're expected to take.
Bowles and Gintis studied American high schools and found that the best predictor of high grades wasn't intelligence but personality traits like obedience, punctuality and conformity. These are exactly the traits valued by employers for compliant workers. They concluded that schools reward docility rather than creativity or critical thinking.
British sociologist Paul Willis conducted an influential ethnographic study of 12 working-class boys (whom he called 'the lads') in a Midlands school in the 1970s. His findings were published in "Learning to Labour: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs" (1977).
Willis found that 'the lads' developed an anti-school subculture that rejected academic values:
Willis's analysis showed that while 'the lads' thought they were rebelling against the system, they were ironically preparing themselves for working-class jobs by rejecting education. Their resistance actually helped reproduce class inequality - exactly what the capitalist system needed.
Marxists argue that schools reproduce class inequality in several ways:
Louis Althusser, a French Marxist, described schools as an "Ideological State Apparatus" that:
While Marxist theories offer powerful insights into education, they have been criticised from several angles:
Critics argue that Marxists present students as passive victims of the system, ignoring their agency and the possibility of resistance and change.
Educational opportunities for working-class students have improved significantly since Marxist theories were developed, with more working-class students attending university.
Marxists focus heavily on class but may underestimate the importance of gender, ethnicity and other factors in educational experiences and outcomes.
Recent research by Diane Reay (2017) shows that despite policies aimed at increasing social mobility, class inequalities in UK education persist. Working-class students still achieve lower grades on average and are less likely to attend top universities. This suggests Marxist perspectives remain relevant for understanding educational inequality today.
When evaluating Marxist perspectives on education, consider these points:
Understanding Marxist perspectives on education helps you develop a critical view of school processes and question assumptions about how education works. While you don't have to agree with Marxist theories, they provide valuable tools for analysing educational inequality and the relationship between schooling and wider society.