Where in a Marxist perspective, class is an interactional function of one’s relation with the modes of production.

CONFLICT THEORY
– Influenced mostly by the theories of Marx and Simmel, another stream of literature known as conflict theory believes that the functionalist emphasis on social maintenance is inadequate to truly understand the energetic activities of social systems. It draws its theory from the contradictions of capitalism, particularly the economic determinism and patterns of property ownership between labor and capital. The underlying thought is that the unequal distribution of wealth and goods in society is the unequivocal source of conflict.
– Schools are linked to this distribution in society, and are viewed as arenas where the social conflict takes place and gets played out. Schooling as a social practice is viewed to be utilized and supported by powerful sectors of society that wish to maintain their social dominance. In this view, particular attention is given to the various conflicts between the poor and rich classes, and the powerless workers and powerful capitalists.
– The same general systems and structural analysis of functionalism is used, but change/conflict is argued to be the natural and inherent state of the system (not social equilibrium).
– Max Weber was in agreement with the Marxist privilege of conflict, but rejected the notion that the contradictions of labor and capital lead to social breakdown. Where in a Marxist perspective, class is an interactional function of one’s relation with the modes of production, the Weberian perspective views class as a positional function of one’s relation with their income, profession, and educational attainment. He argued that power then refers more to the legitimization of authority under these systems. His classic theory is known as a model of Bureaucracy. This is to say that though he believed that group struggle was an inherent feature of social life, the conflicts related to class aren’t necessarily the only ones central as a whole. The emphasis is on the role of the state as the mediator of group conflict, rather than the expression of the interests of a dominant class (Morrow & Torres). Educational sociologists have taken his theory of society and applied it to scho
ols. The argument is that schools are a prototypical kind of social organization, similar to hospitals, prisons, and factories. Along these lines, schools are viewed to be formal and multi leveled bureaucracies, unlike industrial corporations, created and organized by professionals.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL REPRODUCTION

– Theories of Economic, Social, and Cultural Reproduction build on TRANSMISSION theories such as CONSENSUS and FUNCTIONAL – STRUCTURALISM, but take a critical MARXIST perspective, meaning it is CLASS based. They were the first critical challenges to the notion of meritocracy (social and economic power is, and will in the future, be held by those selected on the basis of measurable merit).

Marx: primary divisions:
1) proletariat or labor: own no part of the place they work, tasks controlled by supervisors, must sell their labor. They produce surplus labor that results in profits for the ruling class.
2) capitalists: own the means of production, do not sell their own labor, purchase the labor of others.
3) petty bourgeoisie: own their means of production, do not sell their own labor, yet do not purchase the labor of others.
Capitalism built on inequality, necessity of continuing proletariat (i.e. reproduction). This is an industrial model; many have critiqued and adapted Marxism to more contemporary globalized economic patterns. One of these that we’ll deal with later is the growing importance of knowledge (as in, “knowledge workers” like computer scientists) in today’s economic rhetoric.

In general, theories of economic, social, and cultural reproduction are concerned with processes through which existing social structures maintain and reproduce themselves. Students are shaped by their experiences in schools to internalize or accept a class position that leads to the reproduction of existing power relationships and social and economic structures.

– Distinguish between social structure and cultural:
Social Structure: refers to those durable structures in social life. Social difference and discrimination along the lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, etc. Also refers to body of institutions (church, school, state, etc.) and the power relations solidified in them. Social power works through systems. Social structure refers to power, privilege, and status (see D & L ch. 5).
Cultural: refers to meaning, symbols, shared among a group of humans. Includes material {palpable, material existence) and symbolic culture. Refers to interpretation and meaning.

– Economic and Social Reproduction both refer specifically to the reproduction of class structures.

– Economic Reproduction: Bowles and Gintis: Correspondence Principle:
What is learned in schools corresponds to what is needed in the work place: not only in terms of knowledge, but also types of personal demeanor, modes of self presentation, self image, and social class identifications. Schools in industrial capitalist societies reproduce a stratified work force whose members accept their class position and who learn appropriate work discipline (punctuality, submissiveness, manual dexterity, etc.). The role of the state is to maintain conditions conducive to profit for the ruling class while widely distributing the social returns from capitalism, including to the working class — this creates a tension between the goals of accumulation / profit and goals of equity / equalization.
The educational system provides a legitimizing function for the state and the capitalist system: the rhetoric of meritocracy makes students believe anyone can succeed, if only they try hard enough. Schools defuse class antagonisms by getting students to believe that the position they attain is the best they can achieve. Meritocracy individualizes failure, and the work schools do to favor one group is “invisible,” cloaked by the provision of education for ALL and by test and teacher bias.