The Underclass Question

Lawson, Bill

ISBN 10: 1566390621 / ISBN 13: 9781566390620

Published by Temple University Press, 1992

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Synopsis:

This collection of original essays by well-known African-American philosophers considers questions raised by the existence of a group of people in this country whose lives dramatically contradict the American Dream. The plight of the so-called underclass has given rise to intense debates over what social scientists have termed 'the paradox of social progress'. This is the first full-length philosophical treatment of the underclass debate and one of the few volumes of written by African-American philosophers. The contributors discuss whether the underclass is simply a new label for the poor or whether it indeed represents a distinct class, and they ask: Are there values that are unique to poor urban blacks? What does rap music tell us about the underclass? Do middle-class blacks have an obligation toward poor urban blacks? What are the obligations of the American government to the urban poor? What is wrong with the current conception of urban poverty?The authors find that a combination of attitudes and assumptions about the impact of race, class, the economy, government policies, and conceptions of citizenship makes it difficult to formulate policies that redress the problems faced by the urban poor. Author note: Bill E. Lawson is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Delaware.

Review: "...a uniquely telling volume... These probing essays are a welcome antidote to the unanalyzed buzz-words and attitudes that shape American notions of race, class, and the disaffected among us." --U.S. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia "One of the most intriguing, useful and stimulating responses not only to Wilson's book but to the whole debate on the urban underclass and the 'race vs. class' analysis of black poverty and alleged pathology... [I]t should be required reading." --United Press International "The subject is an important one and this is the only treatment of it by professional philosophers." --T. Kermit Scott, Purdue University "This is sure to be a dominant volume in the discussion around race and class in American society. I found the essays in this volume absorbing and learned...an important work." --Molefi Kete Asante

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Underclass Question
Publisher: Temple University Press
Publication Date: 1992
Binding: paperback
Condition: Very Good