The Lower Class

Social Stratification in the United States SOCI 1306 The Lower Class The working class, working poor, and underclass are three separate subgroups of the lower class, sometimes known as the working class. People in the lower economic classes often have lower wages and less formal education than their lower middle-class peers. Generally speaking, such professions include repetitive duties carried out under strict supervision and frequently need for less training or experience than middle-class vocations. The working class, which is the uppermost subclass of the lower classes, typically obtains more steady labour. Their jobs, which include landscaping, cooking, cleaning, and building, are sometimes physically taxing and hands-on. These jobs are reliable, but they don't usually provide much room for promotion, and they can be physically demanding and pay less than middle-class jobs. The working poor are situated underneath the working class. These people work in low-skilled, low-paying occupations that don't often offer advantages like retirement planning or healthcare. They frequently work seasonal or temporary jobs, which causes financial instability. Day labourers, housecleaners, and migrant agricultural labourers are common jobs among the working poor. This group's average level of education is poor, and some members don't even have a high school certificate. It begs the question: How can someone be impoverished while working a full-time job? Millions of working poor people make too little money to sustain a family, even when they work full-time. Although minimum wages are set by the government, they differ from state to state and frequently push people and families below the poverty line. Moreover, the minimum wage's value has not increased in line with inflation. The real value of the federal minimum wage has decreased by 17% since 2009 and 31% since 1968, according to Cooper, Gould, and Zipperer (2019). The working poor confront more financial difficulties as a result of this fall in buying power, which makes it harder for them to pay for necessities of life. In addition, because living expenses vary, the idea of a livable wage—the amount required to achieve minimal standards of living—varies throughout the nation. For example, the amount of money necessary to live in a high-cost city such as New York City is far more than that needed in a tiny Oklahoman town. These disparities are brought to light by Glasmeier (2020), who also emphasises the significant regional difference in the cost of living and the consequent financial strains on lower-class people living in more costly areas. Because of these differences, those with low salaries may find it difficult to break free from the cycle of poverty because the expenses of living in affluent places might be too great for them. The word and categorization "underclass," which denotes the lowest rung of the social ladder, have generated discussion and criticism. The term "underclass" has been criticised by several well-known sociologists, including a past president of the American Sociological Association, for being either erroneous or unduly generalising (Gans, 1991). Many economists, sociologists, government agencies, and advocacy groups acknowledge the rise of the underclass despite these critiques. For the most part, this population lives in inner cities and has difficulty finding steady work. The underclass is largely jobless or underemployed, and those who do manage to obtain employment are frequently assigned to low-paying jobs. This group has a high rate of homelessness and a high percentage of people who depend on welfare programmes for basic necessities including food, healthcare, and housing support. Welfare benefits, however, frequently fall short of meeting all of their needs, which causes ongoing stress and health problems. Compared to other socioeconomic categories, the underclass has higher levels of stress, worse health results, and a larger likelihood of frequent crises. The problems that the lower classes encounter are complex and rooted in structural problems. Because those with lesser levels of education have fewer possibilities for wellpaying, secure professions, educational differences have a crucial impact. The chances for those who are born into poverty are further limited by the sometimes poor quality of schooling in lower-income communities. Furthermore, economic challenges have been made worse by the minimum wage's loss in value in relation to inflation, which has made it harder for lower-income workers to achieve financial stability. Even full-time employment is not a guarantee of escaping poverty because of this pay stagnation and the growing cost of living in many locations. Furthermore, the working poor and underclass are more susceptible to financial shocks since low-paying employment do not offer benefits like healthcare and retirement planning. For example, unexpected medical costs might put these people in debt and make their poverty worse. An additional element of instability is introduced by the insecure nature of their job, which is frequently typified by temporary or seasonal labour. It is practically hard to invest in prospects for upward mobility or save money for the future when one does not have a reliable source of income. Particularly the underclass has a number of additional difficulties. Poverty and the difficulties that go along with it are ubiquitous in inner-city neighbourhoods due to the lack of work possibilities and insufficient social safety nets. Even though welfare programmes offer some respite, they are not sufficient to cover everyone's fundamental requirements, which results in long-term deprivation and bad health consequences. These people are further marginalised by the stigma attached to belonging to the underclass, which makes it more difficult for them to get the help and resources they need to turn their situation around. A diversified strategy is needed to address the problems that the lower class faces. Aiming to raise the minimum wage in line with the cost of living, these policies might give millions of workers instant financial relief. Enhancing access to high-quality education and career training can also provide people the tools they need to find higher-paying employment. Increasing healthcare and retirement benefits as well as other social safety nets would also aid in preventing the financial shocks that frequently cause lower-class people's lives to fall apart. Targeted investments may also boost economic growth and generate job opportunities in economically deprived places, such inner cities, giving many people a way out of poverty. In summary, the working class, working poor, and underclass constitute the lower class and confront serious issues stemming from wage stagnation, educational gaps, and insufficient social safety nets. Expanding social safety nets, enhancing access to education and training, and raising salaries are only a few of the comprehensive policy changes needed to address these problems. It is feasible to establish a more equal society where even the most disadvantaged may attain financial security and enhance their quality of life by tackling these structural concerns.