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Re: [xmca] Jones on 'value' of Learning and intensified/enhanced labour under capitalism

I think this is a contradiction of development for capitalism, Julian, one of those instances where capitalism acts as a brake on the development of the forces of production. In general the contradiction is solved by differentiation in the schooling system. In the Olden Days the sons of the ruling class were Educated at Eton and Harrow, while the sons and daughters of the workign class were beaten into shape in Bethnal Green Primary School. As I recall, even the post-WW2 Labour government took care to maintain a differentiated system of public schooling. Nowadays, maintaining that differentiation becomes more and more contested and difficult, with the kind of moving goal posts that Bourdiueu describes so well.
But one thing that capitalism does not want in its education system is *critique*, so the training of artists, software dewsignes and managers is a delicate matter, the arena for much struggle. 

Andy

Julian Williams wrote: ...

But I also had in mind that labourers skills and knowledge might be enhanced for other purposes than merely the exchange value of their labour in the labour market /wages... in particular that of 'literacy' and the power of critique. This raises other dimension of 'the values' of labour power more widely: now the issue becomes largely ideological, and the educational field becomes a site for contesting educational values of 'compliance' versus 'critique'.  There seems to be a contradiction here: while the State would like to ensure 'compliance' in general (for the majority) still there is a (perhaps growing?) role for 'creatives', critical thinkers and problem solvers in production....?

What does anyone think?

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--
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*Andy Blunden*
Joint Editor MCA: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/hmca20/18/1
Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857

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