ABSTRACT
In the literature on the social consequences of long-term unemployment, comparable notions are very much in evidence, particularly in studies written from the perspective of social psychology. This chapter rebut the ill-considered use of such terms as "apathy" or "irrational" to describe the behavior of the unemployed. The rational goal-oriented conduct of the unemployed depends on their social position and their chances in the labor market. Resignation is an adapting mechanism, a form of strategic behavior. In a study conducted among young working-class people in northeast England, behavior of this kind was viewed as a "long-term strategy". Caplovitz also made it clear that for the low-income groups, "the scope of shopping" was very limited and subject to financial obstacles. The world of the long-term unemployed is often judged by the moral standards of the working middle classes. Caution is called for in using such terms as apathy, ignorance and irresponsibility to describe the behavior of the unemployed.
