Criticisms of the sociological perspectives in Education

General criticisms of Marxist theory

• There is lack of research into schools - Althusser, Bowles and Gintis all assume that the HC is influencing pupils but they are actually passive recipients of ed and have little interest in teacher authority, going against what Illich and Freire think
• Bowles and Gintis, Illich and Freire ignore the formal curriculum's influence - The education system does not always provide the qualified conformist workers that marxism says should happen
• They assume people have no real ability or motivation to what happens to them, always doesn't explain how a lot of working-class children do well in the education system

Willis - the 'lads'

• Paul Willis (1977) - 'Learning to labour: How working class kids get working class jobs' goes against the works of Althusser and Bowles and Gintis  
  
• He recognised that school didn't always produce a willing and obedient workforce - there are always students in secondary school that go against what the teacher says 
  
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