The Underclass Question

Lawson, Bill

ISBN 10: 1566390621 / ISBN 13: 9781566390620

Published by Temple University Press, 1992

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Underclass Question
• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Publication Date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1566390621
• ISBN 13: 9781566390620
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

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.

About the Author

Bill E. Lawson is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Delaware.

Contributors: Bernard R. Boxill, Leonard Harris, Howard McGary, Tommy L. Lott, Anita L. Allen, Albert G. Mosley, Frank M. Kirkland, Cornel West, and the editor.