8/10/2019 Assess the Marxist View of the Role of Education

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AS SociologySample 20 mark question

Assess the Marxist view of the role of education (20 marks)

Marxists view society as based on conflict. They believe that the role of all institutions in society can beunderstood in terms of how they relate to the economic system.

They therefore see the education system as an institution which reproduces the class system and providesthe economy with a suitable workforce. The labour force needs professional and managerial workers, aswell as skilled and unskilled manual workers. According to Marxists, the role of the education system isto provide workers for every part of the economy.

Support for this Marxist view comes from Bowls and intis who highlight a strong correspondence between what is learnt in schools and what is re!uired in workers for the "apitalist system. #or example,they found that in school the pupils who succeed the most are obedient and un!uestioning, rather thanindependent and in!uisitive. Bowles and intis believe that these !ualities are valued in workers as theywill accept the authority of their employers, and not !uestion their orders.

Bowles and intis believe that the content of the curriculum is not very important and that pupils learnmost from the $hidden curriculum%, that is& the experience of being in school e.g. getting used to doing

boring things for the reward of the !ualification etc.

'owever Bowles and intis have been criticised mainly because they did not actually conduct anyresearch in schools. Also some critics !uestion how the "apitalist system survived before the introductionof the (ducation system, as in the past only )." children would have the experience of attending school.

#urther support for this Marxist view comes from *illis. *illis studied a group of + working class boysduring the last year of their education and the first few months of their employment. 'e used !ualitativemethods of observation, diaries and group interviews. 'e found that these working class boys adopted acounter school culture. They did not believe education had anything to offer them and therefore did notwork. Through this culture they disadvantaged themselves and ended up in working class -obs.

This supports the Marxist theory because *illis believed this counter school culture was uni!ue to theworking class, so although the lads were actively failing themselves this was a result of their low status

position in society.

A ma-or challenge to the Marxist theory of education comes from #unctionalists who believe that theeducation system is based on a meritocracy. urkheim and /arsons argue that those who are the most

talented and hardworking will be identified by the education system and rewarded with !ualifications.This will enable them to access high positions in society. #unctionalists believe that this will happen nomatter what your class position is.

0n conclusion, there is evidence to support the Marxist claim that the education system reproduces socialclasses, as the ma-ority of working class school children today do not experience great social mobility.'owever, there are clear examples of members of the working class being successful and accessinghigher positions. Also you could argue that it is very difficult to discriminate when all pupils must betaught the same 1ational "urriculum. *ith the decline in manual -obs in society you could argue that thecorrespondence between education and work is not as clear as it was.