A person who has homelessness, relies on welfare, and cannot maintain regular employment would be classified as which social group?

• A. underclass
• B. working class
• C. middle class
• D. upper class

Answer: (A)

This question examines how we categorize people by economic status and employment stability. Homelessness signals extreme poverty and social marginalization, and relying on welfare indicates dependence on outside support rather than a steady, self-sustaining income. Inability to maintain regular employment shows a lack of stable work prospects. Taken together, these traits align with the underclass, a group at the bottom of the socioeconomic hierarchy characterized by persistent poverty and limited access to opportunities. The other groups describe people with more stable or greater resources and social status, so they don’t fit as well.