Marxists View on Education

Assess the contribution of Marxism to our understanding of the role of education:
Marxists argue that society is unfair and unequal. They believe that the system is Capitalist and both women, ethnic and religious minorities are the ones that are affected badly. There solutions for these problems are to replace the Capitalist society where everyone is equal. Marxism is one of the three types of Feminism; the other two are Liberal Feminism- They say the law is sexist but do not blame the men but the way women and men socialise has an impact on the law. Their solution for their problems is that we all need to be socialised differently and get rid of laws. The other type of Feminism is Radical Feminism- They say men and women are still unequal, women are exploited by men and believe the solution is separatism; men and women should live apart.                                                                       Functionalists look at society from a positive perspective and argue the different parts of society benefits everybody- including women which therefore contradict the Marxists and Feminists beliefs. The founder of Functionalism was Durkheim who believes in social Solidarity.                                                                            
The main argument of Marxism on education is that there is inequality. Louis Althasser, a French Marxist philosopher, argues that the state consists of two elements, both of which serve to keep the bourgeoisie in power. These are:                                                                           The Repressive State apparatus (RSA’s) maintain the rule of the bourgeoisie by force or threat. These include the police, court and army.                                                                           The Ideological State apparatus (ISA’s) which maintain the rule of bourgeoisie by controlling peoples ideas, beliefs and values. These include religion, mass media, and the education system....