THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES OF POVERTY - UNDERCLASS

Proponent of the Theory

• Charles Murray (1989, 1993, 1999)

Basic Assumptions

• The underclass are not just the poorest in society but have a "type of poverty" within their lifestyle

• A poor person is defined by their condition and deplorable behavior in response to that condition.

• Among the underclass he outlines three key deplorable behaviors:

  1. Unwillingness to take jobs

  2. Having illegitimate children

  3. Committing crime

Key Arguments

• Not all poor people or unemployed individuals exhibit deplorable behavior, just a minority.

• Evidence in three areas supports Murray’s claim:

1. Illegitimacy

• He claims that illegitimacy rates are rising with most illegitimate births belonging to poor women

• This is important as illegitimate children with absent fathers are more likely to "run wild" and have physical unruliness in society.

2. Crime

• Rising crime rates contributed to the growth of the underclass.

• When crime rates rise communities become fragmented as people become suspicious of one another and retreat to their homes.

• As crime spreads, young boys imitated older men and engage in criminal activities.

3. Unemployment

• Murray does not see unemployment in itself as a problem but the young men’s unwillingness to take jobs.

• Older men viewed reliance on state benefits as humiliating, while younger men saw it as acceptable.

• This unwillingness to work heightens the likeliness of their involvement in crime and the creation of illegitimate children.

• Communities with large numbers of unemployed young men break down.

Causes of Deplorable Behaviors

• Increase in state benefits for single mothers and changing social attitudes towards illegitimacy.

• Crime rates also increased because punishments became less severe and offenders were less likely to be caught or convicted as compared to before.

Solutions Proposed by Murray

• Stricter social control measures, including:

  • Greater use of imprisonment

  • Eliminating benefits for unmarried mothers

  • Forcing unmarried mothers to marry if they had children

Criticisms of Murray’s Theory

1. Alan Walker (1990)

   • Believed the poor were victims of social policy, not the cause of social problems.

   • Argued Murray blamed the victims and lacked strong evidence.

2. Anthony Heath (1992)

   • He said that members of the underclass shared the same values as mainstream society (wanting regular, stable jobs and happy marriages), but are limited by a lack of opportunities.

3. Pete Allock (1994)

   • Disagreed with Murray’s claims and solutions.

   • Stated that lone parenthood does not automatically lead to poor socialization of children.

   • Argued that removing benefits from unmarried mothers would punish both good parents and deserving children.