Criticisms of Willis Marxism Marxism in Education
Willis
Arguably glorifies a bad work
Marxism is a conflict theory
Capitalism creates a workforce that is accepting ethic. ‘Working class heroes’. The idea of bringing up a new generation of
between the working and the
to an alienated and poorly paid job. ‘Choose to fail’ - is this by workers through all of the different rules and
ruling class. The rich exploit
design or free will? procedures in school.
the poor and the poor take it,
- ‘Lads’ study End results - typically because they have
Willis studied ‘the lads’ who were a group of working working class This then leads to the ruling class and
no choice.
class boys that were disruptive, misbehaved and had a boys ended up capitalists making their money
very negative attitude towards education. in working class There is inequality through the exploitation of the working
jobs but does in society based on class and their labour.
This study on 12 boys showed that even when students rebel this prove that class.
against the system (smoking, drinking and taking the mickey), education The theory seems The working class
they ended up being slotted into unskilled jobs which are reproduces capitalistic but
Althusser
physical and usually poorly paid. This still manages to benefit are poorly paid and
inequality? wants
capitalism as it provides someone to fill the unskilled roles of under the control of
communism. capitalism. He believed that the capitalist
society; you cannot escape capitalism! ruling class used ‘ISA’
His conclusion from this was that education was not effective as an (Ideological state apparatus)
agent of socialisation, the lads were not socialised into work, rather and ‘RSA’ (Repressive state
waiting to leave education and it contradicted the work of apparatus) to maintain their
functionalists and other Marxists. control and power in society.
However, this does completely ignore the possibility of working
Education - - ISA was through psychological control; school, religion and media.
class conformists who actually succeeded following school.
Marxism - RSA was through force; such as the police and army.
Criticisms of Bowles and Gintis School reproduces class inequality
and legitimises it. It creates a working
Functionalists agree with skills for employment but class that is fit for benefitting and
suggest this is for benefit of society, not just the R/C. profiting the ruling class.
Not all students become passive, unthinking Bowles and Gintis Criticisms of Althusser
puppets.
Not all workers are being They found that an individual’s
produced equipped with the attitude would then determine their
Assumes that everyone consumes propaganda without
necessary skills for result in education and eventually
question, which is not really relevant in the modern era of
employment. their outcome (job/career).
alternative news outlets and secularisation.
Individuals who are submissive and obedient are more
likely to be exploited, whereas creative and independent Deterministic - more children from manual labour backgrounds going to higher
individuals would not be. education than even before - still only 9%
- Correspondence principle: There is a similarity between the workplace and school; Postmodernists would suggest that education is one way of expressing ability in
schools mirror the structure of the workplace, e.g. through punctuality and hierarchy. contemporary (modern day) society.
- Hidden curriculum: Students are not only taught how to fill their job but to become
employable in the first place (subconsciously).
(An example is through assemblies and anything outside of main education.) Red = Criticism/why
- Myth of meritocracy: Meritocracy is the idea that achievement is success and not
inherited. However it is clear that the more privileged have higher chances of success. they may be wrong).
Willis
Arguably glorifies a bad work
Marxism is a conflict theory
Capitalism creates a workforce that is accepting ethic. ‘Working class heroes’. The idea of bringing up a new generation of
between the working and the
to an alienated and poorly paid job. ‘Choose to fail’ - is this by workers through all of the different rules and
ruling class. The rich exploit
design or free will? procedures in school.
the poor and the poor take it,
- ‘Lads’ study End results - typically because they have
Willis studied ‘the lads’ who were a group of working working class This then leads to the ruling class and
no choice.
class boys that were disruptive, misbehaved and had a boys ended up capitalists making their money
very negative attitude towards education. in working class There is inequality through the exploitation of the working
jobs but does in society based on class and their labour.
This study on 12 boys showed that even when students rebel this prove that class.
against the system (smoking, drinking and taking the mickey), education The theory seems The working class
they ended up being slotted into unskilled jobs which are reproduces capitalistic but
Althusser
physical and usually poorly paid. This still manages to benefit are poorly paid and
inequality? wants
capitalism as it provides someone to fill the unskilled roles of under the control of
communism. capitalism. He believed that the capitalist
society; you cannot escape capitalism! ruling class used ‘ISA’
His conclusion from this was that education was not effective as an (Ideological state apparatus)
agent of socialisation, the lads were not socialised into work, rather and ‘RSA’ (Repressive state
waiting to leave education and it contradicted the work of apparatus) to maintain their
functionalists and other Marxists. control and power in society.
However, this does completely ignore the possibility of working
Education - - ISA was through psychological control; school, religion and media.
class conformists who actually succeeded following school.
Marxism - RSA was through force; such as the police and army.
Criticisms of Bowles and Gintis School reproduces class inequality
and legitimises it. It creates a working
Functionalists agree with skills for employment but class that is fit for benefitting and
suggest this is for benefit of society, not just the R/C. profiting the ruling class.
Not all students become passive, unthinking Bowles and Gintis Criticisms of Althusser
puppets.
Not all workers are being They found that an individual’s
produced equipped with the attitude would then determine their
Assumes that everyone consumes propaganda without
necessary skills for result in education and eventually
question, which is not really relevant in the modern era of
employment. their outcome (job/career).
alternative news outlets and secularisation.
Individuals who are submissive and obedient are more
likely to be exploited, whereas creative and independent Deterministic - more children from manual labour backgrounds going to higher
individuals would not be. education than even before - still only 9%
- Correspondence principle: There is a similarity between the workplace and school; Postmodernists would suggest that education is one way of expressing ability in
schools mirror the structure of the workplace, e.g. through punctuality and hierarchy. contemporary (modern day) society.
- Hidden curriculum: Students are not only taught how to fill their job but to become
employable in the first place (subconsciously).
(An example is through assemblies and anything outside of main education.) Red = Criticism/why
- Myth of meritocracy: Meritocracy is the idea that achievement is success and not
inherited. However it is clear that the more privileged have higher chances of success. they may be wrong).
