英文摘要 |
Marx described the proletariat as surplus labor in a capitalist society, and Benjamin defined the underclass as Flâneur. In this paper I draw on ethnographic information on homeless people in the W district of Taipei to address these ideas. Homeless people (which Bauman refers to as the 'new poor') not only represent a population of individuals who are excluded from the labor market, but also consumers who cannot satisfy their individual needs and desires. In reference to the underclass, homeless people include marginalized citizens, the working poor, and people who engage in deviant behaviors—roles needed for boundary maintenance. As deficient consumers, some of the homeless people may be given work in place of relief subsidies, and thus experience degradation in collective consumption. Some become flâneurs who escape from their families and travel within their home cities. This study is an attempt to clarify how homeless people develop specific survival strategies. |