‘ Problem families ’ and their history since 1880 by John Welshman

 Executive summary  What is the chronology of the „underclass‟ debate in the United Kingdom and the United States, from 1880 to the present?  Which individuals and groups have been doing the defining?  Is it basically the same idea that has been invented and re-invented in a linear process?  How and why do these concepts emerge?  What is the impact of these concepts, if any, on policy-making?  Conclusion: why has the concept been so resilient?  Further reading  About the author