The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy, Second Edition

by William Julius Wilson

Overview

Renowned American sociologist William Julius Wilson takes a look at the social transformation of inner city ghettos, offering a sharp evaluation of the convergence of race and poverty. Rejecting both conservative and liberal interpretations of life in the inner city, Wilson offers essential information and a number of solutions to policymakers. The Truly Disadvantaged is a wide-ranging examination, looking at the relationship between race, employment, and education from the 1950s onwards, with surprising and provocative findings. This second edition also includes a new afterword from Wilson himself that brings the book up to date and offers fresh insight into its findings.

“The Truly Disadvantaged should spur critical thinking in many quarters about the causes and possible remedies for inner city poverty. As policymakers grapple with the problems of an enlarged underclass they—as well as community leaders and all concerned Americans of all races—would be advised to examine Mr. Wilson's incisive analysis.”—Robert Greenstein, New York Times Book Review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780226901268
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Publication date:	07/10/2012
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

William Julius Wilson is the Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor at Harvard University.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Part 1 The Ghetto Underclass, Poverty, and Social Dislocations

1 Cycles of Deprivation and the Ghetto Underclass Debate 3

2 Social Change and Social Dislocations in the Inner City 20

3 Poverty and Family Structure: The Widening Gap between Evidence and Public Policy Issues Kathryn Neckerman 63

4 Joblessness versus Welfare Effects: A Further Reexamination Robert Aponte Kathryn Neckerman 93

Part 2 The Ghetto Underclass and Public Policy

5 Race-specific Policies and the Truly Disadvantaged 109

6 The Limited Visions of Race Relations and the War on Poverty 125

7 The Hidden Agenda 140

Appendix: Urban Poverty: A State-of-the-Art Review of the Literature Robert Aponte 165

Notes 189

Bibliography 225

Part 3 Afterword

Reflections on Responses to The Truly Disadvantaged 251

Index 311

Editorial Reviews

Required reading for anyone, presidential candidate or private citizen, who really wants to address the growing plight of the black urban underclass.”

Washington Post Book World - David J. Garrow

Required reading for anyone, presidential candidate or private citizen, who really wants to address the growing plight of the black urban underclass.”—David J. Garrow, Washington Post Book World

Washington Post Book World

"Required reading for anyone, presidential candidate or private citizen, who really wants to address the growing plight of the black urban underclass."--David J. Garrow, Washington Post Book World

-- "Washington Post Book World"

From the Publisher