Society and "place"

I recall a past episode of the TV program called "Downton Abbey" in which the lord of the manor tells a young friend, who is reluctant to use the valet his new position offers, that it is "important for everyone to have a place" and to use the valet's services.  I also recall an article recently about a police shooting in Iceland-the first of its kind in modern Icelandic history-and the comment that while guns are available in Iceland the economic gap between the rich and poor is very narrow, leaving everyone in that society with a "place" or a committment to the whole society. 

My thought in regard to this is that our society has not found a way to ensure everyone a meaningful "place" or connection to the whole or interest in the operation of a orderly and just society.  Fascism imposed on European societies in the 1930's and 40's gave everyone a place by making all classes work for the interest of the state.  I am certainly not advocating that form of government, but our system must find a way to give all people a sense of belonging to a greater whole and having an interest in the betterment of society.  There are just too many people in our society without jobs, or a decent quality of life that would give them a sense of "place".  There is just too much of a gap between those few at the top of the economic ladder and those at the bottom, especially when we hear (via TV, movies, and ads) all the time about the things that money will buy.  Without that sense of "place" all kinds of anti-social actions will be taken by those with nothing to lose.