A distinct lower-class culture is the set of cultural values and prospects transmitted to the children raised in the low class and social status within the society; that further acts as an impediment to their success compared to the others. The lower class culture therefore exists as long as the conditions of poverty are socialized. This is the culture associated with the “culture of poverty theory” that socializes that individuals try to survive in a state of deficiency; because they have been socialized to values, distinct beliefs and manipulative ways that are incompatible with economic success (Levine, 1998).
Recent studies have shown that that the emphasis on values is not holistic; but rather structural barriers create the conditions that lead to the creation and adoption of these values and expectations. This implies that solving this problem should concentrate on transforming the structures that lead to the development of this culture; and not the culture itself. A distinct lower class according to Miller is rooted in the lower class culture which has a construction of its own system of values. He further argues that Gang norms are merely childish outward signs, of the lower class culture under which these individuals are raised (Thompson & Joseph, 2005).
Strain theory further explains that the adverse behavior in these individuals; develops as a result of the frustrations that the lower-class individuals go through and the deprivation of legitimate means to reach their goals in life. In a slum area around my neighborhood; is a young man that has a very poor background living in the same slum he was brought up in, that has been characteristic with poor people for the past more than thirty years (Levine, 1998).
In the past few months; this man has been arrested for conning his friends and pickpocketing. These behaviors fall within the focal concern of smartness that develops from slum life, which leads to the generation of strategies to outwit the other peers to gain advantage over them; in capturing the few opportunities that come along their environment (Thompson & Joseph, 2005).
The same man is used to activities like gambling, spending the nights out in dances and overnight sexual adventures. These are the excitement traits that develop from the interactive life associated with lower-class cultures; that can be attributed to the congested surroundings that the poor are raised in; and the interdependence of the various individualities that get accustomed to living interconnected lives (Levine, 1998).
The same man lives in the same slum he was raised in even though he already has got himself a fairly paying job; and the reason he gives for having to live in the same impoverished surroundings is that, he is destined to live around the people who are in the given surroundings as they share all hold a similar culture and personality. He claims that his fate lies with the place and the people that make the culture of this surrounding; and that he believes that he was placed in the surroundings for a purpose that he does not have to question (Thompson & Joseph, 2005).
The same man due to the rough upbringing surroundings has developed a troublesome behavior, which makes him engage in fights whenever he goes to public places like bars or being associated with troublesome friends. According to him, he argues that he has been used to living around violence, due to the shortage of resources and opportunities. He argues this was the case, because they often had to fight over anything that came their way and therefore having such a violent upbringing he developed to be violent (Thompson & Joseph, 2005).
During my high school years I experienced the elements of focal concern associated with the lower class culture almost all the time. Some of the instances involved the fighting of troublesome classmates; pickpocketing; gambling; carefreeness about academic performance and violent encounters after slight disagreements. All of these behavioral traits; were known to be characteristic of the marginalized slum dwellers in our school (Levine, 1998).
As a concluding note it is worth noting that the development of these focal concern areas is based on the strain that one goes through, creating the need for having to adjust to the deficiency through learning to outwit; accept their fate; act rough, and become tough to succeed in the struggles involved in slum life.
Reference
Levine, R. (1998). Social Class and Stratification. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Thompson, W. & Joseph, H. (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson.