Bowles and Gintis argue that schools socialize students to accept the social relationships of work in capitalist societies through a hidden curriculum. They propose a "correspondence principle" where schools mirror the hierarchical and fragmented structure of the workplace. Specifically, schools divide learning into subjects, group students by age and ability, use grades as extrinsic rewards, and promote competition among students. This hidden curriculum prepares students to accept alienation, lack of control, and inequality as inevitable aspects of work. However, schools also promote a myth of meritocracy by suggesting one's status is solely based on individual effort and achievement.

1. Bowles and Gintis
Schooling in Capitalist America (1976)

2. By the end of the lesson you should
be able to
Define the hidden curriculum.
List at least 3 ways school corresponds to work.
Explain the myth of meritocracy

3. • 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.

4. Why does capitalism need
obedience?

5. 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’.

6. The Correspondence Principle

7. 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 Teachers
Older pupils Younger pupils
Bosses
supervisor
Skilled worker unskilled

8. Correspondence Principle
Operates through the HIDDEN CURRICULUM

9. Myth of Meritocracy

10. By the end of the lesson you should
be able to
Define the hidden curriculum.
List at least 3 ways school corresponds to work.
Explain the myth of meritocracy