ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at some of the stereotypes young people themselves have about the city they live in and the areas we have selected for study. It reviews the 'underclass thesis' - the proposition that problems of youth and crime are geographically focused in certain areas of the city, particularly the 'inner city' and the 'problem estate' where, some have argued, completely different sets of values have developed, particularly in relation to work, school and the family. The chapter looks at the modem history of childhood which gave rise to the idea that children should be 'seen and not heard'. It discusses very briefly, one important example of such thought, namely the 'underclass thesis', popularised by American academics such as Charles Murray and recently endorsed by, for example, Kenneth Baker, the former Minister for Education. The 'village' of Corstorphine is predominantly a middle class commuter suburb, although it includes a large stock of council-built housing.
