Elite sociology

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Elites like to gather in an illustrious setting, like here at the New Year's reception of the Bavarian State Government in the Munich Residence

The elite theory is engaged as part of the field of sociology with the phenomenon of television . In elite sociology , three approaches can be distinguished from one another both in terms of content and time: the elite sociology established at the turn of the century , the sociology of the functional elites and the critical elite sociology.

Differences in Elite Sociology

At the turn of the century, “elite” was initially discussed in close connection with “ mass ”. During this time, the sociologists considered elite as a positive term. This was followed by the functionalist approach of the functional elite, which strived for freedom of judgment . More recently, “elite” has been viewed sociologically and more critically as a power elite .

The classic elite sociologists

The classic elite sociologists include:

What they have in common is that - based on Niccolò Machiavelli's theory of elites - they oppose the elite and the masses . Pareto assumes that elites will never be replaced by the masses, but only by “reserve elites”.

Sociology of the functional elite

The most important sociologists of the functional elite include:

The theory of the functional elite is generally understood to mean that, in principle, but especially in modern democratic society, several elite groups develop in various sectors through performance selection. The sociology of the functional elite emerged at the beginning of the 1950s, when fascism in Italy and Germany had linked the term elite with fascist ideology and was therefore analytically difficult to use for a democratic society.

Main questions of elite sociology

According to Barbara Wasner, modern elite sociology examines eleven different main questions:

  • Identification (who should be counted among the elite?)
  • Social background (which stratum / class does the parent generation of the elite belong to - recruitment basis?)
  • Career history (how does one achieve an elite position)
  • Personal characteristics and qualifications (age, gender, education ...; instinct for power, stress resistance ...; sovereignty, optimism ...)
  • Elite-specific thought patterns (self-image, class awareness, basic ideological conviction, leadership style)
  • Elite types (allocation to social sectors: politics, economy, culture ...; allocation in a power structure )
  • Working methods and communication of the elites (communication and interaction of the elites, elite networks, mechanisms for social solidarity)
  • Representativeness of the elites (comparing the socio-structural characteristics of the elites with society in order, among other things, to identify access barriers)
  • Interest representativity (Which interests represent and enforce elite members?)
  • Legitimacy and prestige of the elites (How valued do elites enjoy and how are they legitimized in society?)

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Barbara Wasner: Elites in Europe. Introduction to theories, concepts and findings . VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden, 2004, p. 23 ff.