Elites

Who Becomes Elite?

Who is perceived as part of the elite depends on the context. Generally, there are two ways to become a member of the elite. The first—traditional—way is by birth: ascribed membership. Elite membership is inherited by children of wealthy or powerful people. This can be formal elite and therefore formal inheritance, as in aristocracy. Or it can be informal inheritance, as in being born into a wealthy and powerful business “dynasty” like the Rothschilds.

The other way to become a member of the elite came into existence in modernity. Personal achievement can lead to elite membership. This is called meritocracy: The best and the brightest get to the highest positions and receive or claim the highest prestige. In the United States, the American Dream is a powerful metaphor for this. Both traditional (premodern) and modern elite formation are complemented by co-optation, for example, the clerical elite.

Elites in Three Domains

Elites may be found in several crucial domains. The most important are the political-administrative, the economic-financial-business, and the cultural-media domains. Other domains, which may be more important in some historical periods than in others, are the military and religion domains. These are the domains in which elites have power and where they act on it.

Who are the wealthiest and most powerful in the three domains mentioned above in global times? One way to find out is to look at the institutions. Elites are to be found within powerful organizations, be they public or private.

Within the political domain, heads of states are elites, as are directors of international organizations like the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The heads of intergovernmental organizations like the European Council of Ministers and of supranational organizations like the European Commission are also part of this domain. High-level civil servants and politicians form these bureaucratic networks.

Because in times of globalization non-state actors have become politically more important, directors of international intergovernmental organizations like the Red Cross and nongovernmental organizations may also be perceived as part of the political elite.

The second domain in which elites are to be found is the economic and financial domain. Chief executive officers (CEOs) of international companies are part of this domain—including, for example, Bill Gates and Wall Street or London City-based CEOs of global financial organizations. Also, some directors of cultural organizations like big media firms (in Hollywood and maybe also in Bollywood) are part of this domain.

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