THE CONCEPT OF A DISTINCT LOWER CLASS OR CULTURE IS OFTEN DETRIMENTAL TO THE STUDY AND COUNSELING OF LOWER-CLASS FAMILIES. CONFUSION ABOUT THE MEANING OF CLASS AND CULTURE IS DANGEROUS WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES AND IN POPULAR THINKING. BY CLASSIFYING BROADLY, THE WIDE RANGES OF BEHAVIOR WITHIN CERTAIN GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS ARE OVERLOOKED OR UNDERESTIMATED. PREOCCUPATIONS WITH CULTURE AND CLASS DIVERT CONSIDERATION FROM ACTUAL FORCES AFFECTING THESE GROUPS. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT LOW-INCOME PARENTS TEND TO SHOW GREATER CONFORMITY TO MIDDLE-CLASS STANDARDS IN WHAT THEY SAY THEY WANT THAN IN THEIR ACTUAL BEHAVIOR. BEHAVIOR OF THE BULK OF POOR FAMILIES APPEARS TO BE PRAGMATIC ADJUSTMENT TO EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL STRESSES AND DEPRIVATIONS, EXPERIENCED IN THE QUEST FOR ESSENTIALLY COMMON VALUES. FOCUS ON EFFORT SHOULD BE ON BACKGROUND CONDITIONS AND ON PRECIPITANTS OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN ON PRESUMABLY DIFFERENT CLASS OR CULTURAL VALUES. THE PLANNER AND PRACTITIONER SHOULD ACT IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND GROUPS WITHIN THE CLASS, RATHER THAN IN TERMS OF THE CLASS ITSELF. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED TO THE CONFERENCE ON LOWER CLASS CULTURE, NEW YORK CITY, JUNE 27-29, 1963.