What does the concept of the underclass refer to? Pay particular attention to the work of W. J. Wilson or similar contributions to urban sociology. The following essay will examine various analyses on the concept of underclass, particularly in relation to American society. It will put forward the main definitions and characteristics of the theories that are attempting to define and understand underclass. A historical definition will be given introducing the concept, followed by factors that help identify underclass. Unfortunately these defining and identifying characteristics are plagued by different perceptual viewpoints. These viewpoints, in the debate on the subject of underclass, are the foundational divisions between the two main theoretical opinions of the Structuralists and Cultural Determinists. The claims of both the Structuralists and Cultural Determinists as to the conception and development of the underclass will therefore be highlighted. The Structuralist views and theoretical contributions of in particular W.J. Wilson, Van Haitsma and Auletta will be dealt with as to provide a more congruent understanding of the origin and persistence of the underclass. In the past the concept of underclass has been characterised by four primary factors: A continuous lack of basic human resources; Financial earnings and family structure that are below society’s standards; A concentrated area characterised by extreme lack of socio-economic resources; And transference of conduct, that is deemed inappropriate by society, across different age groups (Van Haitsma, 1989:27). Identifying the underclass can also be understood in terms of: A physical location of people living in close-proximity to each other with certain tr... ... middle of paper ... ...underclass, it is important to take into account that each group’s analysis of the factors determining underclass is based on different classification of topics, such as ethnic background, occupation and family unit, and even the perceptions in the community are to be taken into consideration (Marks, 1991:446). Therefore since the reasons and explanations have not been quite clear-cut or black-and-white, theorists have in recent times begun to review the archaic concept of underclass in both Cultural Determinist and Structural explanations, and combine the relevant parts of both theories upon which a stronger, more coherent theoretical explanation could be built. This holistic approach, will then provide better and increasingly relevant information for policymakers responsible for devising effective plans that will benefit society as a whole, subcultures included.
America is supposedly where all men are created equally, yet society has created a hierarchy based on socioeconomic standing and political power. Theorists Karl Marx and Max Weber has applied their theories of social class on the model of social stratification; a system in which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. According to Karl Marx, the main classes of society are the bourgeoisie and the proletariat; those that are the owners of the means of productions and those who work for it. On the other hand, Max Weber argued that there is a multidimensional ranking rather than a hierarchy of clearly defined class. America has created a social system in which those of middle and lower classes tend to struggle to decrease the gap within
In the “Class Of America” article, the author Gregory Mantsios displays his point of view on what society says class individuals are in and how that affects their lives further than people in America think. Mantsios believes that citizens in the United States prefer not be put in different social categories like higher, middle, or lower class just because of the income value. Mantsios elaborates on his beliefs about class categories in America and disproves them by using statistics for evidence. In example, he claims that the class you are placed in will affect your lifestyle. Mantsios also debates that whatever class you fall under reflects on how well you will prosper in life, just like schools connecting test scores and the level of schooling the student receives. Whatever class a person is categorized in defining their future in life, even, if they choose to not see it that way that’s how it is.
According to Anthias (2001), “class approaches have underpinned, however, some of the most influential contributions to the fields of gender and ethnicity/race…Marxist feminist, for example provide a Marxist informed analysis of gendered subordination, often apply Marxist economic categories to what later was acknowledges to be an inappropriate object”(p.372). Anthias (2001) explains the ethnicity and class focus on the correlations of a particular ethnic position and class position. Anthias (2001) notes “ethnicity and class, when twinned together have led problems of reductionism…Marxist approaches may treat it as false consciousness, where the real divisions of class take on symbolic forms. Ethnicity may also be seen as being a way that class organize (not as a disguise but as a vehicle), in order to struggle over economic resources. Anthias (2001) writes that there are three dimension of social stratification the shows class, gender and ethnicity into an approach to social inequality. The first is social stratification is seen as outcomes that relation to life condition, how a person is positioned in a social relations Secondly, there are a set of predisposition that is placed for individual s with different realms of production (class), sexual difference (gender) and collective formations (ethnicity). Lastly, the dimension of collective allegiances that helps
Despite the typically imaged definition of socioeconomic class being based entirely on the wealth of the individual, there are many complex social factors at play as well. Not only does it stem from Max Weber’s concept of Socioeconomic class (wealth, status, and power), there is a mobility to it as well. Anyone can permanently or temporarily
Preventing poverty and improving the school system can help prevent class reproduction, but Macleod argues that, "what is required is the creation of a truly open society--a society where the life chances of those at the bottom are not radically different from those at the top and where wealth is distributed more equitably" (260). Until structural inequality is eliminated, wealth is more evenly distributed, and discrimination between classes ends, social reproduction will be to well known by society.
Classism has existed for many years within the Black community. It introduced its self to the slaves and has continued to reveal its self to Blacks well into the 21st century. Having a great presence within the Black community, classism has caused a disunification within the Black community. In the years of slavery the house Negro considered himself better than the field Negro. Today the middle-class black considers himself above the lower-class black. Both the house Negro and the middle-class black family have strived to disassociate themselves from those Blacks of lower status. Consequently, Blacks have suffered a great separation among their community.
According to Schwartz-Nobel, America will lose as much as 130 billion in future productive capacity for every year that 14.5 American children continue to live in poverty (Koppelman and Goodhart, 2007). Sadly the seriousness of poverty is still often clouded by myths and misunderstandings by society at large. This essay studies the issue of poverty and classism in today's society.
In his essay “Land of Opportunity” James W. Loewen details the ignorance that most American students have towards class structure. He bemoans the fact that most textbooks completely ignore the issue of class, and when it does it is usually only mentions middle class in order to make the point that America is a “middle class country. This is particularly grievous to Loewen because he believes, “Social class is probably the single most important variable in society. From womb to tomb, it correlates with almost all other social characteristics of people that we can measure.” Loewen simply believes that social class usually determine the paths that a person will take in life. (Loewen 203)
Class affects the experiences around us-how we grow up, the people we associate with, the schools we attend, our health, and our opportunities in life. Those who grow up in the upper class have the opportunity to attend the best schools, have plenty of food to eat, associate with what society deems the “best” people. The underclass, or the poor, often have a poor education, are on welfare, and are deemed the undesirables of society.
First, the chapters cover stratification. According to study.com “Social stratification refers to a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. In the United States, it is perfectly clear that some groups have greater status, power, and wealth than other groups.” According to the textbook “Stratification is unequal distribution of valued
Since the country’s beginning, race, gender, and class have been very important factors in a person’s experience in the United States of America. The meaning of race, gender differences, and the separation of class have changed over United States history. For many Americans, their perceptions of class and race and the degree to which gender affect people’s lives, often depends on what their race, gender, and class are, too. There are differences between the reality of America, what is represented as American reality in media, and the perceived reality of America. Americans as well as those looking at America from an outside perspective may have questions and confusions regarding what the real connections are to race, class, and gender are in America. The paper tries to clarify and explore how these issues connect and play out in real life.
In today’s society people are viewed as being in different classes depending on how much money they bring in. The categorization of people is known as classism. Classism is simply the prejudice or in favor of people belonging to a particular social class. Classism is known as one of the largest social problems plaguing the world today. Classes are formed according to how the rules of the following institutions; government regulations and economic status. It is held in place by a system of beliefs and cultural attitudes that ranks people according to their; economic status, family lineage, job status, and level of education. There are three major classifications to which people are titled. They include upper or high class which includes the people with the most money. The middle class who includes the people that brings home the average income. Finally, the class titled the lower class that includes the people who have only one income coming in or none at all (“What Is Classism.”). In the classrooms these classes still remain and the students within each class have different ways in which they learn, and view schooling. We as educators have to look passed their ways and address each class the same.
Social stratification systems are present in every functioning society. A stratification system organizes the members of the society into different categories so that members of the society know their social position in society (Larkin, 2015). Members of the society are placed into the different categories based on their race and gender. Every stratification system allows for a different amount of social mobility. In this essay we will look at three social stratification systems, slavery, caste, and class, and we will compare males and females by race, class, and education.
The class system allows an individual to move up in rank despite their economic, social, or family history. This is also the system that is mostly found in the United States of America (Larkin, 2015). The class system focuses on the economic prosperity of people. The other two systems, slavery and caste, don’t get the chance to move up on the stratification levels. The individuals are ranked in society by their family and what they’re born into. In today’s generation we can see college students that were born in poverty come up from nothing and make something of them self. They were able to achieve a college degree and obtain a higher level of social status. Not only will this help the individual but the family as well, they have the opportunity to move up in the stratification chain. A real life example of the kids upholding a higher status is the Kardashian family. The sister’s father, Robert Kardashian, was a famous criminal justice lawyer but it wasn’t until the middle child, Kim Kardashian, started dating a famous singer Ray Jay. Ever since then they exploded in Hollywood and obtained their very own television show, known as Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Because of the relationship the family’s social status changed forever. Now that I have gone through the similarities and differences, I have concluded that each system makes an impact in
Kerbo, H. R. (2012). Social stratification and inequality: class conflict in historical, comparative, and global perspective (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.