Which term describes the group at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder that includes the homeless?

• A. Underclass
• B. Working class
• C. Lower middle class
• D. Middle class

Answer: (A)

At the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, sociologists describe an underclass. This group is defined by persistent poverty, limited access to education and steady employment, and social exclusion from mainstream institutions. homelessness fits this description because it represents the lack of stable housing and income that places people at the lowest rung and often traps them in cycles of poverty. The other terms refer to people who still have jobs or higher income and social status than those in extreme poverty, so they don’t capture the condition of being at the very bottom in the same way.