Marxist and Education

1047 Words5 Pages
Marxism is a conflict theory, between two social classes the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. They believe in exploiting the proletariats through inequality and labour. Marxism theory is based on capitalism and is a macro theory because it looks at the whole of society. According to Louis Althusser the education system has replaced the role of the church; he argues that the role of the church had a strong influence on individual’s ideologies. Now people’s ideologies are influenced by the education system, which is now the main agency of control within society. People are now entitled to more choices and their acceptance comes from their experience of education. Althusser states people used to accept their position in society because they believed it to be ‘gods will’. This theory suggests that if individuals are going to accept inequality their ideologies need to be controlled and the only way to accomplish this is to become a teacher and to control the society through power. Education according to Althusser reproduces inequality by preparing pupils for work in the wider society. School contribute to training pupils so they learn the rules and procedures of the workplace, and it helps to prepare us to accept the bourgeoisie’s ideologies. The process in which we learn to accept inequality is made up of two elements: the repressive state apparatuses which maintain the rules of the bourgeoisie through fear and force. The police, courts and the army are good examples of services within society that help keep them in power and separate them from the proletariats. Another service is called the ideological state apparatuses which maintain the same role, only they are responsible for controlling individual’s ideologies which include religion, media and the education system. Bowles and Gintis two American Marxists, developed similar ideas to Althusser, they argued
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