Chapter 4:Broken PromisesBowles and Gintis

Current Approaches

• Liberal Reformers:

integrative function

egalitarian function

developmental function

• Functionalist (underlying assumption: meritocracy):

most qualified fill occupational positions

equal opportunity independent of race,class/gender

inequality human differences

Education the Great Equalizer

• Solutions change people, not the system

• Data consistently demonstrate major predictor of level and type of education parental SES

• Parents w/ HS education children attend community college

• Equal test scores High SES parents children achieve higher levels of education

• Top 25% of high ability students high SES 2X as likely to attend college

• Cause differentiation of resources in school/home roots of inequality outside of the education system

Student Assessment

• Student performance based on conformity independent of ability:

Natl Merit Scholarship Finalist Study (top 10%)

Personality variables significant difference

teacher ratings: “citizenship/desire to achieve”

• School reward docility/obedience penalizes creativity/

spontaneity

• Not conducive to personal growth

Education a Capitalist Enterprise

• Education dictated by business (corporate) interests notions of “efficient management”

Teacher becomes a “simple” worker vs. Professional student as object (tests)

• Function of capitalist privilege and authority

i.e. business values and social relationships

Conclusion

• Schools hostile to needs of personal development

• Historical trajectory counter to notions equality of opportunity

• Schools reproduce economic inequality via an alienated and stratified labor force

• Capitalist system shaped Educational system