'The Book ' Blog 28

chapter nine continued ..

The authors have described the process of educational change without identifying how exactly economic interests translate into educational programs.

The key inherent conflict in the capitalist system, is the conflict between the capitalist accumulation and the reproduction of capitalist order (class conflict). Educational reform has been used by the capitalist to mediate and reflect class conflict.

The process of educational reform is as follows:

1. Internal dynamics : Economic - constantly changing and adapting. Economics is not a static system. Education - is less dynamic and more stable.

2. This creates a mis-match of internal dynamics. Economic goals - extend wage - labour system. Alters the organization of work and the class structure. Educational goals tries to stabilize these aspects.

3. The accommodation of educational systems to new economic conditions.

a. Pluralist accommodations (interests of all stakeholders): the tendency of educators in periods of economic change to alter values conforming to new economic changes. Parents want education that is focused on obtaining a job. This is to secure a successful future for their children. When there is a financial crisis, like the one that occurred in the 1970's and like what we are experiencing today, education reforms tend to tighten up and focus more on getting jobs and not on the well rounded educational experience.

Note: All of these processes that lead to educational reform appear to be democratically controlled (This is key to the legitimization of the U.S. capitalist order.) Yet the authors claim that it is actually still being led by a changing structure of production.

b. There is concrete political struggle along the lines of class interest. This means when there is social uprising, a struggle among major social groups, the capitalist class through its extensive control over educational funding has been able to control the 'model' that will control this class conflict that is occurring. This control over information and educational values, exercised by the capitalist class in large measure through its foundations (controlling resources.) has played a crucial role in directing the process of educational accommodation to economic change.

Educational change has historically played the role, not of a compliment to economic reform, but as a substitute for it.