Using Material from Item ‘a’ and Elsewhere Assess the Contribution of Marxism to Our Understanding of the Roles of Education in Society.
Using material from item ‘a’ and elsewhere assess the contribution of Marxism to our understanding of the roles of education in society.
Item A
Marxists take a critical view of the role of education. Capitalist society is essentially a two-class system, with a ruling class exploiting the working class. Marxist see education as being run in the interests if the ruling class. For example, Althusser argues that education is an important ideological state apparatus that helps to control people’s ideas and beliefs. He suggests education has to purposes. It reproduces class inequalities through the generations by ensuring that most working-class pupils experience education failure. Education also legitimates this inequality, persuading the working class to accept educational and social inequalities. Other Marxists have also pointed to the existence of a hidden curriculum in schools.
The Marxists helped contribute to our understanding of the role of education in society in many ways. They went against the functionalists and even opposed one of the functionalist’s theories.
Marxists take a class conflict approach they see education as serving the needs of capitalism. They therfore don’t agree with the functionalist’s view of consensus and theory of meritocracy. Meritocracy is an educational or social theory believing that everyone has an equal opportunity to do well and to succeed. Meaning that your individual efforts are what make you achieve rewards and status, rather than ascribed by their upbringing, background, ethnicity, class or gender. This means that everyone gets the same education and it’s up to them how well they do at school. Marxists believe that this isn’t true and meritocracy is a myth.
Whilst Marxists believe it is partially true, it is up to the student to do well and try however they can only do as well as the capitalist society allows them to. Willis is a Marxists sociologist and a interactionist, he also shows this by saying children
Item A
Marxists take a critical view of the role of education. Capitalist society is essentially a two-class system, with a ruling class exploiting the working class. Marxist see education as being run in the interests if the ruling class. For example, Althusser argues that education is an important ideological state apparatus that helps to control people’s ideas and beliefs. He suggests education has to purposes. It reproduces class inequalities through the generations by ensuring that most working-class pupils experience education failure. Education also legitimates this inequality, persuading the working class to accept educational and social inequalities. Other Marxists have also pointed to the existence of a hidden curriculum in schools.
The Marxists helped contribute to our understanding of the role of education in society in many ways. They went against the functionalists and even opposed one of the functionalist’s theories.
Marxists take a class conflict approach they see education as serving the needs of capitalism. They therfore don’t agree with the functionalist’s view of consensus and theory of meritocracy. Meritocracy is an educational or social theory believing that everyone has an equal opportunity to do well and to succeed. Meaning that your individual efforts are what make you achieve rewards and status, rather than ascribed by their upbringing, background, ethnicity, class or gender. This means that everyone gets the same education and it’s up to them how well they do at school. Marxists believe that this isn’t true and meritocracy is a myth.
Whilst Marxists believe it is partially true, it is up to the student to do well and try however they can only do as well as the capitalist society allows them to. Willis is a Marxists sociologist and a interactionist, he also shows this by saying children