Does democracy really live up to this norm? Can in fact everyone belong to an elite? To answer this question the author would like to present and critically examine three elite theories that differ in content and time. He is not only concerned with access to the elites, i.e. how they recruit themselves, but in the overall context with how a group of influential and powerful people emerges and how they maintain themselves. His argument is that he believes that access to an elite can be understood much better by examining how they emerge and try to maintain their position in society. The question of social access to the elites, therefore, is always a question of how they emerged and how they are maintained. But the main focus will ultimately be on the question of the access of individuals to elites. In this work he will therefore identify the social factors that determine the emergence of, the access to and the maintenance of elites.
Everyone has heard the term “elite” before. But very few know what it means or who exactly it refers to. Defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, the "elite" are "those people or organizations that are considered the best or most powerful compared to others of a similar type". But what makes them "the best" or "most powerful"and how do they get into this privileged position? In our democratic society, it is assumed that education, performance and success are decisive for advancing one to an elite position. Allegedly, anyone can ascend to a privileged elite position. Open access to the elites is one of the central norms of a representative democracy.
The author will therefore start with a small historical and theoretical background to the term "elites"itself, since it is often unclear what is meant by elites. Indeed, the term can be used in different ways and with different meanings, as we will see. This is followed by Mosca’s classical elite theory. Unfortunately, due to the limited scope of the work, he has to cut back on the classics of elite theories. However, in terms of the content of Mosca’s theory to the other classics, such as Pareto and Michels, they hardly differ.
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Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- INTRODUCTION
- HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE TERM “ELITES”
- CLASSIC ELITE THEORY BY MOSCA
- ORGANIZED AND SUPERIOR MINORITY
- MONOPOLIZATION EFFORTS OF THE RULING CLASS
- FUNCTIONAL ELITE THEORIES
- SOCIAL OPENNESS AND PLURALISM
- SELECTION ACCORDING TO PERFORMANCE
- STRATEGIC ELITES
- CONCLUSION AND COMPARISON OF FUNCTIONAL ELITE THEORIES
- CRITICAL ELITE THEORIES
- THE POWER ELITE
- SOCIAL COHESION IN THE UPPER CLASS
- REPRODUCTION OF THE RULING CLASS
- CONCLUSION AND COMPARISON OF CRITICAL ELITE THEORIES
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This work explores the concept of elites and examines how different theories explain their emergence, maintenance, and access. The main objective is to critically analyze three elite theories – classical, functional, and critical – to understand the factors that influence social access to elites and the social dynamics that shape their position in society. The work focuses primarily on the question of how individuals can access elite positions.
- Historical development of the term “elites”
- Different perspectives on the formation and maintenance of elite groups
- Factors determining access to elite positions
- Social structures and power dynamics related to elite groups
- Comparative analysis of classical, functional, and critical elite theories
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter defines the term "elite" and introduces the three main elite theories that will be analyzed in the following chapters. It highlights the importance of understanding how elites emerge, maintain their position, and recruit new members.
- Historical and theoretical background of the term "elites": This chapter provides a historical overview of the concept of elites, tracing its origins to the Latin word "eligere" (selected). It discusses how the term has evolved over time and how it has been used in different contexts.
- Classic elite theory by Mosca: This chapter examines Mosca's seminal work "Elementi di Scienza Politica," which argues for the existence of a ruling class ("classa politica") that controls the majority of society. It delves into Mosca's ideas about the organization, characteristics, and advantages of this ruling minority.
- Organized and superior minority: This chapter explores Mosca's concept of the organized minority, highlighting the advantages of smaller groups in terms of organization and effectiveness. It discusses the role of shared values and consensus in the cohesion of a ruling class and the significance of perceived intellectual superiority.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This work focuses on the concepts of elites, ruling classes, power, social access, and elite theories. It examines the historical development of the term "elites" and analyzes different perspectives on their emergence, maintenance, and social influence. Key themes include social organization, social power dynamics, and the role of intellectual superiority in shaping elite groups.
- Quote paper
- Daniel Wolf (Author), 2020, From the Ruling Class to the Power Elite, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/984169
