Knowra Underclass Underclass An underclass is a marginalized social group marked by persistent poverty, insecure or absent employment, and limited access to mainstream institutions. The term describes entrenched exclusion, not simply low income.
Gunnar Myrdal : A Swedish economist and sociologist whose work examined inequality, race, and poverty. His 1963 book helped introduce “underclass” into modern social analysis.
Spatial mismatch : A theory that job locations and workers’ residential locations can be separated by distance and poor transport access. Suburbanizing jobs can remain inaccessible to residents of segregated inner-city neighborhoods.
Working poor : People who are employed but whose earnings remain insufficient to meet basic needs. The term isolates low-paid work, while underclass often includes prolonged joblessness and institutional exclusion.
Concentrated poverty : The clustering of high poverty rates within particular neighborhoods or local areas. It names a geographic pattern commonly associated with underclass formation.
The American Dilemma : Gunnar Myrdal’s 1944 study of race relations and the conflict between American ideals and racial inequality. Its account of structural racial exclusion shaped later arguments about entrenched poverty.
Residential segregation : The separation of groups into different residential areas, often shaped by policy and discrimination. It concentrates disadvantage and limits access to jobs, schools, and services.
Poverty : A condition in which people lack income or resources needed for basic living standards and participation. Underclass describes a socially marginalized grouping, not poverty’s broader condition or measurement.
Urban renewal : Public and private redevelopment of urban areas, often involving changes to housing and land use. Redevelopment policies have displaced low-income communities and reshaped urban marginalization.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan : An American sociologist, diplomat, and politician who wrote influential reports on poverty and family structure. His 1965 report became a flashpoint in debates over the causes of urban poverty.
Deindustrialization : The long-term decline of manufacturing employment and industrial production in an economy or region. The loss of stable urban jobs weakened a major route into secure employment.
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