The Invention of the 'Underclass'

Autor*innen

• Loïc Wacquant

Parameter

• 180 Seiten
• 7 Lesestunden

• Sozialwissenschaften
• Soziologie

Mehr zum Buch

At the century's close, American social scientists and policymakers became fixated on a new group deemed the urban “underclass,” which sparked international interest in social exclusion in postindustrial cities. In this incisive work, Loïc Wacquant explores the evolution of this racialized concept, tracing its origins from Gunnar Myrdal's structural analysis to the behavioral perspectives of Washington think tanks and the neo-ecological views of William Julius Wilson. He examines the sudden emergence, rapid dissemination, and swift decline of the “underclass” in public discourse, reflecting on the implications for understanding urban marginality. Wacquant poses critical questions about the “lemming effect” that led scholars of race and poverty to pursue flawed theories, the dynamics behind the rise and fall of “conceptual speculative bubbles,” and the influence of think tanks and media on social research. He also addresses the challenges of naming marginalized populations in scientific discussions and suggests ways to reframe the contentious issue of race. This rigorous analysis calls for social scientists to safeguard their intellectual independence from external pressures, making it essential reading for those in sociology, anthropology, urban studies, and related fields.

• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2022
• Einband: Paperback