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Questions and Answers
Which of the following best describes Illich's view on schools?
Freire believes that schools serve to liberate students from authority.
False
What do Bowles and Gintis argue is the main role of education in capitalist societies?
Reproduction of a hard-working, submissive, and disciplined workforce.
The concept of __________ refers to the ways education legitimizes social inequality and class structure.
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Match the sociologist to their perspective on education:
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Which of the following factors do Bowles and Gintis identify as influencing success or failure in education?
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Meritocracy is seen as a reality by Bowles and Gintis.
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What is meant by the term 'long shadow of work' in relation to education?
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What is one criticism of Althusser and Bowles & Gintis regarding their theories on education?
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Willis’ study found that working-class students were fully compliant with school authority.
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What is the main focus of Willis' LADS study?
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Both the Marxist and Functionalist perspectives view schools as __________ social inequality.
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Match the criticism to the respective perspective.
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According to Willis, what did the boys think about school?
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Both Marxist and Functionalist perspectives agree that education serves the needs of industrial society.
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What subculture did Willis observe among the working-class boys?
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What do Marxists believe about the values passed on by schools?
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The New Right perspective supports the idea of equality of opportunity in education.
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Which two social factors do Marxists emphasize as influencing educational success?
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According to Marxists, the education system promotes the idea that society is _____ .
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Match the following theorists with their perspectives on education:
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What is a key belief of the New Right regarding education?
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Bowles and Gintis argue that the education system provides equal opportunities for all students.
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What do Marxists suggest is taught through the education system regarding social positions?
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Study Notes
Illich & Deschooling
- Illich believes schools reward conformity and punish dissent.
- Those who accept the school regime receive qualifications, access to higher education, and better jobs.
- Those who question authority are excluded and end up in lower-level jobs.
- Illich proposes abolishing schooling altogether, a concept he terms "deschooling."
Freire & Repressive Education
- Freire views schools as repressive institutions that condition learners to accept authority and subordination.
Althusser, Illich, & Freire: Hegemonic Control
- These theorists argue that education plays a crucial role in promoting the hegemony and control of the ruling class.
- The education system convinces society to accept the ruling class's ideas as the truth and superior.
Bowles & Gintis: Reproduction of the Workforce
- Bowles and Gintis, like Althusser, view education as a system that reproduces a submissive and obedient workforce for capitalist societies.
- This occurs through two mechanisms:
- The hidden curriculum, which reflects workplace values.
- Legitimizing and justifying inequality and the class structure.
- This framework maintains social inequality and helps people accept their positions in society, reducing discontent and opposition.
- They believe social class, ethnicity, and gender are the main factors determining success or failure in school and the job market.
- They consider both equality of opportunity and meritocracy to be myths.
- They argue that the education system confirms an individual's class of origin as their class of destination.
Features of the Hidden Curriculum
- School rules, detentions, exclusions, rewards (e.g., merits): Promote conformity to societal rules and laws.
- Punctuality to lessons: Teaches time management and punctuality in the workplace.
- Privileges given to sixth-formers: Encourages respect for elders and superiors, like managers.
Criticisms of Marxist Theories of Education
- Lack of detailed research into schools.
- Many students disregard teacher authority, suggesting they are not passive.
- The formal curriculum is not always designed to produce passive employees.
- Theories are deterministic, suggesting people have no control over their choices; they fail to explain why some working-class children succeed in education.
Willis's Lads Study
- Willis adopts a Marxist approach with interactionist elements.
- While recognizing that schools don't always create a willing and obedient workforce, he acknowledges that working-class students are more likely to end up in low-paid jobs.
- He studied 12 working-class boys who developed an anti-school subculture, characterized by:
- Opposition to school values.
- Dislike for conformist pupils.
- A desire to enter the working world as soon as possible.
- They perceived school as a waste of time that hindered their ability to work and earn money.
- He found similarities between the anti-school subculture and the workplace culture of male lower working-class jobs: sexism, disrespect for authority, and a desire to escape the boring and oppressive nature of work and school.
Similarities Between Marxist and Functionalist Perspectives
- Both are macro studies.
- Both see education as legitimizing social inequality.
- Both see education as serving the needs of industrial or capitalist society.
Criticisms of Marxist and Functionalist Perspectives
- Both overemphasize the role of education in forming student identity, ignoring other factors like media influence.
- They fail to consider student resistance to school.
Criticisms of the Functionalist Perspective on Education
- Marxist critics argue that the functionalist view ignores power inequalities in society and that school passes on the values and culture of the ruling class.
- Feminist critics argue that schools transmit patriarchal values, disadvantaging women.
- Bowles and Gintis (Marxists) argue that the education system disguises the lack of equality of opportunity in education and that social class, and to a lesser extent ethnicity and gender, are the primary influences on educational success.
The New Right Perspective on Education
- The New Right perspective reflects many functionalist ideas.
- They believe education should focus on workforce training, ensuring that talented students enter important jobs while others are prepared for lower-level roles.
- They believe education should socialize young people into collective values and responsible citizenship to build social cohesion and ensure a stable society.
- Chubb and Moe argue for a free market in education with a range of independently managed schools run as private businesses, tailored to local communities.
- The New Right believes competition for students and funding, combined with parental choice, will lead to a more efficient education system.
- Marketization of education will improve the quality of education and create a more skilled and qualified workforce.
Marxist Perspectives on Education
- Marxists view education primarily as a means of social control, encouraging young people to accept their social position to maintain existing inequalities in power, wealth, and income.
- They argue that the education system promotes a meritocratic view of society, suggesting that failure is due to individual lack of ability and effort.
- This leads individuals to accept their positions after school, despite Marxist arguments that inequalities in social class background influence educational success.
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Description
Explore the critical perspectives of Illich, Freire, and Althusser on education as a tool for social control and reproduction of the workforce. This quiz examines the theories that highlight the repressive and conformist nature of educational institutions. Dive into the concepts of deschooling and hegemony as discussed by these influential thinkers.
