Is There a Criminal Underclass in American Society

Is There a Criminal Underclass in American Society

The notion of a criminal underclass within society is a complex matter. With the simple phrase comes a barrage of uncertainties and possibilities with much being written in recent decades on the subject. In fact the concept of an underclass has been around in a form since at least as far back as 1810 when Malthus explained it in terms of " the over-production and over-population of the lower classes" and saw the solution as encouraging the lower classes not to breed. Our understanding of underclass has changed somewhat over the years yet academics have been unable to come up with a consensus on a definitive definition. Indeed the negative connotations and uncertain meaning associated with the word have caused many to stop using it altogether. Although societal changes over time have brought in differing attitudes to the words concept and usage, and the problem of different definitions from various viewpoints should always be taken into consideration, I shall do my utmost to give a description of the sort of ideas and concepts associated with the term. I will also explain the important distinction between deviant and criminal behavior so as I can then determine if such a concept as a criminal underclass is actually a reality within our present day society.

Crime itself is a very transient term; it is something that varies through the passage of time, society, geography, and by who commits the act. For example the horrific acts of September 11th resulted in the suicide bombers became martyrs for Al-Quaida members and followers while the west viewed the acts as probably the worst crime ever committed. Soldiers of the coalition will receive medals for bravery as they take lives in Afghanistan while the bombing is seen as criminal by those supportive of the Taliban and similar regimes. It is clear then that crime can be both right or wrong depending on where we are looking from. Evidently it is not the act that distinguishes a crime but whether or not the act has been classified a crime. Ultimately it is those in positions of power that choose this classification and clearly those criminals we choose to despise are victims of our societies ideas of what is right or wrong. To explain deviance we shall look to Howard Beckers statement "Social groups create deviance by making rules whose infraction constitutes deviance, and by applying these rules to particular people and labeling them as outsiders". From this point of view, deviance is not the quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender. The deviant is one to whom that label has been successfully applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label. It must be noted here however,