Behaviors of the Underclass and Dysfunctional Culture

Orcun Kahyaoglu

Wilson’s underclass theory emphasizes external causes to be the determinant of the underclass behavior. In his explanation, Wilson identifies that a change in availability of opportunities would override what is seen as deviant behavior due to cultural dysfunction. Availability of job opportunities and positive external causes would change the cultural norm that is attributed to underclass deviant behavior (Schiller, 2008).

While comparing parents’ aspirations and expectations for their children’s opportunities for employment, Wilson’s research observed that parents from impoverished families have high aspirations for their children securing respected jobs but minimal expectation that they will reach those aspirations. There is the dysfunctional culture that is created by belief that there are no chances for success within the underclass society. However this culture can be changed if the expectations would match the aspirations. 

While collecting responses of students from poor and non-poor families on their expectations to complete college education, Wilson’s research observed that students from both the poor and non-poor families had high aspirations to complete college education. However, only a reduced percentage of students from the poor families actually complete the college education as compared to children from non poor families (Schiller, 2008).

Pedersen (2002) explains behavior therapy, which seeks to train individuals on how to interact with cultural influence on behavior. Dysfunctional culture acts only as a status quo in determining the deviant behaviors of underclass. If external causes would be brought in to influence or help the underclass attain their aspirations and expectations, they would deviate from the acclaimed dysfunctional culture. Dysfunctional culture is created by the repeated inability to attain the expectations meaning if the expectations could be attained, then the whole cultural setting would change resulting to a positive change in behavior.

Pedersen, P. B. (2002). Counseling across cultures. Thousand Oaks [u.a.: SAGE.

Schiller, B. R. (2008). The economics of poverty and discrimination. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.