Bowles and Gintis

Bowles and GintisSchooling in Capitalist America (1976)

Define the hidden curriculum. List at least 3 ways school corresponds to

work. Explain the myth of meritocracy

By the end of the lesson you should be able to

• Capitalism needs workers with a certain type of attitude

Think of some adjectives to describe the perfect worker/ student

The role of education is to reproduce an obedient workforce, who believe inequality is inevitable.

Why does capitalism need obedience?

The Correspondence Principle

Bowles and Gintis argue that there are close parallels between schooling and work in capitalist societies.

Schooling takes place in the ‘long shadow of work.’

These parallels are what Bowles and Gintis refer to as examples of the ‘correspondence principle’. worksheet

The Correspondence Principle

Principle/Vice-principle/Teachers/Students

Managers/supervisors/workers

Lack of control of curriculum/subjects

Lack of control of production

Grades and qualifications

Pay

Fragmentation of knowledgeUnconnected subjects

DIVISION OF LABOUR

Year groups, streams

Levels of occupational structure

School Workplace

Fragmentation Learning is fragmented into different subjects

Division of labour: Work is fragmented into repetitive meaningless tasks

Levels of Education Streams, sets, year groups Levels of the work structure:- Low levels – close supervision- Higher levels – self-supervision, workers internalise firm’s goals

Extrinsic Rewards Pupils work for grades / exam results, not out of interest in the subjects

Workers work for wages not job satisfaction

Alienation Pupils lack control over education – it is often boring and tedious

Workers lack control over production – it is often boring and tedious

Competition and Divisions

Competition among pupils e.g. to come top!

Divisions among work force (pay, status, skill) means no revolution

Hierarchy Head teacher TeachersOlder pupils Younger pupils

Bosses supervisorSkilled worker unskilled

Correspondence Principle

Operates through the HIDDEN CURRICULUM

Myth of Meritocracy

Define the hidden curriculum. List at least 3 ways school corresponds to

work. Explain the myth of meritocracy

By the end of the lesson you should be able to