Robert Macdonald – författare

The idea that Britain, the US and other western societies are witnessing the rise of an underclass of people at the bottom of the social heap, structurally and culturally distinct from traditional patterns of `decent'' working-class life, has become increasingly popular in the 1990s. Anti-work, anti-social, and welfare dependent cultures are said to typify this new `dangerous class'' and `dangerous youth'' are taken as the prime subjects of underclass theories. Debates about the family and single-parenthood, about crime and about unemployment and welfare reforms have all become embroiled in underclass theories which, whilst highly controversial, have had remarkable influence on the politics and policies of governments in Britain and the US,Youth, the `Underclass'' and Social Exclusion constitutes the first concerted attempt to grapple with the underclass idea in relation to contemporary youth. It focuses upon unemployment, training, the labour market, crime, homelessness, and parenting and will be essential reading for students of social policy, sociology and criminology.

The idea that Britain, the US and other western societies are witnessing the rise of an underclass of people at the bottom of the social heap, structurally and culturally distinct from traditional patterns of `decent'' working-class life, has become increasingly popular in the 1990s. Anti-work, anti-social, and welfare dependent cultures are said to typify this new `dangerous class'' and `dangerous youth'' are taken as the prime subjects of underclass theories. Debates about the family and single-parenthood, about crime and about unemployment and welfare reforms have all become embroiled in underclass theories which, whilst highly controversial, have had remarkable influence on the politics and policies of governments in Britain and the US,Youth, the `Underclass'' and Social Exclusion constitutes the first concerted attempt to grapple with the underclass idea in relation to contemporary youth. It focuses upon unemployment, training, the labour market, crime, homelessness, and parenting and will be essential reading for students of social policy, sociology and criminology.

The idea that Britain, the US and other western societies are witnessing the rise of an underclass of people at the bottom of the social heap, structurally and culturally distinct from traditional patterns of `decent'' working-class life, has become increasingly popular in the 1990s. Anti-work, anti-social, and welfare dependent cultures are said to typify this new `dangerous class'' and `dangerous youth'' are taken as the prime subjects of underclass theories. Debates about the family and single-parenthood, about crime and about unemployment and welfare reforms have all become embroiled in underclass theories which, whilst highly controversial, have had remarkable influence on the politics and policies of governments in Britain and the US.Youth, the ''Underclass'' and Social Exclusion constitutes the first concerted attempt to grapple with the underclass idea in relation to contemporary youth. It focuses upon unemployment, training, the labour market, crime, homelessness, and parenting and will be essential reading for students of social policy, sociology and criminology.

The idea that Britain, the US and other western societies are witnessing the rise of an underclass of people at the bottom of the social heap, structurally and culturally distinct from traditional patterns of `decent'' working-class life, has become increasingly popular in the 1990s. Anti-work, anti-social, and welfare dependent cultures are said to typify this new `dangerous class'' and `dangerous youth'' are taken as the prime subjects of underclass theories. Debates about the family and single-parenthood, about crime and about unemployment and welfare reforms have all become embroiled in underclass theories which, whilst highly controversial, have had remarkable influence on the politics and policies of governments in Britain and the US.Youth, the ''Underclass'' and Social Exclusion constitutes the first concerted attempt to grapple with the underclass idea in relation to contemporary youth. It focuses upon unemployment, training, the labour market, crime, homelessness, and parenting and will be essential reading for students of social policy, sociology and criminology.

Under the weight of apparently growing consumer affluence, globalisation and post-modern social theory, many have proclaimed the declining significance of social class and place to young people’s lives – and for social science. Drawing upon new, empirically grounded, theoretically innovative studies, this volume begs to differ.

It argues that the youth phase provides a privileged vantage point from which to interrogate and think about broader processes of social change and social continuity. These themes are addressed by all the diverse contributions gathered here. The chapters include investigation of: the problems of growing up in gang neighbourhoods and young people’s use of space for leisure; new patterns of class formation and youth transition in Eastern Europe; the effects of classed labels and identities (such as ‘chav’ and charver’) in youth culture and schooling; the changing meanings of class and place for young women in changing socio-economic landscapes; new patterns of youth culture and transition among Black young men in East London; and how we think and theorise about change and continuity in youth studies.

Together these new empirical studies and critical theoretical analyses confirm the continuing central importance of class and place in shaping the opportunities, transitions, sub-cultures and life-styles of young people.

This book was based on a special issue of Journal of Youth Studies.

Under the weight of apparently growing consumer affluence, globalisation and post-modern social theory, many have proclaimed the declining significance of social class and place to young people’s lives – and for social science. Drawing upon new, empirically grounded, theoretically innovative studies, this volume begs to differ.

It argues that the youth phase provides a privileged vantage point from which to interrogate and think about broader processes of social change and social continuity. These themes are addressed by all the diverse contributions gathered here. The chapters include investigation of: the problems of growing up in gang neighbourhoods and young people’s use of space for leisure; new patterns of class formation and youth transition in Eastern Europe; the effects of classed labels and identities (such as ‘chav’ and charver’) in youth culture and schooling; the changing meanings of class and place for young women in changing socio-economic landscapes; new patterns of youth culture and transition among Black young men in East London; and how we think and theorise about change and continuity in youth studies.

Together these new empirical studies and critical theoretical analyses confirm the continuing central importance of class and place in shaping the opportunities, transitions, sub-cultures and life-styles of young people.

This book was based on a special issue of Journal of Youth Studies.