EDUCATION AND CAPITALISM: POWER, ALIENATION, AND THE ILLUSION OF CHOICE IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL COURSE ORGANIZATION

Master of Arts (Sociology) candidate: Molly Sutherland

4 September 2026

10:00 AM Atlantic

Hybrid Defence

KCIC Meeting Room

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/257850140275689?p=awmOxoX8HbdCEwEUYd
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Thesis Committee:

Dr. James Brittain, Supervisor
Dr. Foroogh Mohammadi, Internal Examiner
Dr. Susan Ferguson, Univ. of Houston, External Examiner
Dr. Liam Swiss, Head of Sociology
Dr. Kristin Williams, Chair of the defence

Abstract

This thesis explores how education relates to capitalism and class. By focusing on the organizational structure of ability grouping in Canada – also referred to as “streaming” – this research considers what role public schools play in (re)producing inequality. Analysis is organized around two distinct approaches: non-Marxist and Marxist. Dominant non-Marxist literature is examined to account for how unequal student outcomes manifest under capitalism and perpetuate wider inequality. Then, class is recentred and Marxist theory is utilized to consider the ways in which streaming works to prepare the organization of labour and instill ideological training most compatible with capitalism’s functioning. Although non-Marxist scholarship can offer relevant empirical insights, this thesis insists on pushing beyond the boundaries of individualized, liberal interpretations of educational reform in favour of a more critical approach that is necessary for understanding and pursuing long-term systemic change.

About Molly…

Molly is an MA student in Sociology at Acadia University studying anti-capitalist thought surrounding education and schooling. Rooted in Marxist thought, her research focuses on critical theoretical critique of the educational organization structure known as “streaming” in Canada and its role in reproducing meritocratic ideology that aligns with inequality. Prior to this, Molly completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, Double Major in Sociology and Women’s & Gender Studies at Acadia. Her honours thesis explored the perspectives of public high school students and how they perceived their relationship to education. Molly will be beginning doctoral studies at Carleton University in September exploring the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom, why students feel the need to use it, and how it may deepen students’ alienation in learning and limit critical thinking. Her research interests include class consciousness, escapism, digital spaces, queer studies, abolition theory, and hope.