underclass

A derogoratory and unproven concept deriving from middle class snobishness/anxiety and used to describe the most vulnerable groups in western industrialised societies. People who populate the more impoverished sections of the working class and who are collectively blamed for a host of social ills. People who due to their financial circumstances are unable to participate in mainsream society. People perceived to be of no good to society and so those parents who do work hard in such adverse circumstances are stigmatised as wrong and deviant due to assumptions based on the actions of a minority. Their children do not receive the support they need to help them advance away from poverty. Instead of being called deserving, hard working, or if unemployed are helped to gain meaningful work, security and education, ALL poor people are somehow deemed to be scroungers and layabouts.