Re(3): expanding middle/upper (in fact, working) class

From: Martin Owen (mowen@rem.bangor.ac.uk)
Date: Sat Jan 22 2000 - 01:17:02 PST


Pete writes
>Let's not write off all the unemployed/underemployed as lumpens just
>yet! The lumpen category applies more to a state of consciousness, to a
>giving up and sinking into a lifestyle of criminality that makes one
>reject
>seeking "honest" employment even when it becomes available

I accept the need for caution Pete, but the definitions of criminality and
criminal "states of mind" are in the language of the user. Living on the
margins, scrounging, scavaging and thus being a nuisence to those with
more luxurious lifestyle rapidly gets defined as a criminal underclass (we
see it to a degree in the UK with people who live in somepublic housing
schemes... but the murder of the children of the favelas wrtie the story
large).
Martin



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Feb 01 2000 - 01:02:42 PST