Education and specialization: forced professionalization

Abstract

In order to apprehend the issues addressed in this article, it is necessary to analyze education with a focus on the specialization and professionalization of the working class. We draw upon Georg Lukács’ aesthetics, the concept of class in Marx and Engels, and interpreters of classical Marxism, such as Saviani, Ponce and Santos, who understand education as a universal complex responsible for transmitting historically accumulated knowledge. However, under capitalism, the objectives of education are oriented toward the specialization of the workforce for the competitive market. Thus, we critically analyze how capitalist educational professionalization seeks to shape workers according to its needs. We conclude that, under the logic of expanded capital accumulation, working-class education becomes subsumed to market interests, restricting training to fragmented courses.