Posititve Functions of the Undeserving Poor: Uses of the Underclass in America

In Herbert Gans article, he speaks about some functions of the underclass or poor people in society that are not normally spoken about. Society judges the poor by a stereotype, and feel the poor can be a threat to those in mainstream society. Gans notes that because of all the functions of the poor, wheather they are positive or negitive, society need the poorer class in society. Some functions he speaks of the microsocial functions, economic functions, normative functions, political functions and macrosocial functions. When reading through each, I was able to understand more of what he was explaining. Then I thought about how sometimes in society people try to fight to make the richer, less rich, and make the poor, not so poor. Maybe those who are rich and create the majoirty of the laws in our society can stop the gap between rich and poor but instead choose not too. When looking at things from this perspective and given the resons that Gans stated, it almost makes sense that society really does need that gap between the rich and poor even if it is partially out of selfish rich people reasons. This made me realize poor really can be looked at almost essential to our society and our class system in America.