THE UNDERCLASS SOCIOLOGY

I felt it was obligatory to look into the Underclass Sociology as the punks, alongside many other subcultures, were segregated to such lower social ranking based on their looks and behaviour. This derives from a behavioural school perception in which they are placed in this group based on crime actions, illegitimacy, or unemployment.

My research has shown a strong belief from myself, that such groups, like the punks, are highly misinterpreted and are presented with a bad reputation due to media publication and unwillingness to comprehend their reasonings and logic.

The Underclass is a theory coined by New Right sociologist Charles Murray, to primarily define individuals of America into specified categories based on class hierarchy and monetary value. It describes concentrations of impoverished racialised populations living in urban areas (Gardener, 2018).

I feel this term is highly derogatory and places people in a position which is promulgated to be humiliating and dishonest. It portrays them to be victims, which could be the case; however, it segregates them from every other being, insinuating they are inferior, thus causing demoralisation for some.

Murray believes there has been an increase of lone parenthood, behavioural problems, dysfunctionality, and crime due to the welfare system and their production of a welfare dependency. The welfare dependency was originally established to support individuals or families and to wipe out poverty and hardship, yet Murray has debated that this was being illegitimately used or used excessively, creating a dependency culture of laziness which would pass on to future generations.