Power elites
Society is composed of two kinds of individuals, according to Mills. First kind is the majority of the ordinary people who do not have the power to govern the driving forces of society. The second kind is the power elite who have the power to rule the political, economic and military establishments, and create historical changes. Mills states that the old means of power such that family, religion and education have left their place to politics, economics and military. Each of these domains has become very interrelated, centralized and enlarged with improving technology. Economy, politics and military are increasingly interlocking and giving rise to the power elite that makes primal decisions in the modern capitalist society. Power elite is not simply composed of the ones who own the most money, power and prestige but it is also through having access to these pivotal institutions people can have power. So, power is not positioned in individuals but in institutions. People in power elite form a social class that is defined as the inner circle of upper social classes with their interconnected relations. Upper strata in America is less visible than anywhere else because it has never passed through a feudal stage and never had an arist
Finally, Giddens combines these two typologies and construct an overall typology for elite formations and power within class structure. Indian caste system is an example of this. There are three principles of social organizations: upper-class principle, corporate principle and class-wide principle. If the power is consolidated and issue-strength is broad, the power-holding is autocratic. According to Useem, managerial capitalism (rise of individual corpoprations) leave its place to institutional capitalism which is determining political action in terms of classwide general, shared interests of all major corporations. It is obvious that contemporary power elite among the world are monopolized within the hands of few nations such as the US and UK, and they have major roles in determining political decisions of the rest of the world. Useem argues that in UK and US leaders of major corporations play great role in direction of politics and business. According to the view that elite is omnipotent, elite is the invisible agent of power. The elite in society are defined in humanist or moral criteria. If integration of elite group is high and recruitment is open such that mobility is easier, the elite group is defined as solidary elite. According to humanists, people are elite because of their intrinsic characteristics. ocrat class, so American elite emerged from a middle class with no aristocrat opposites. Giddens uses the term 'elite group' referring to persons who lead social organizations such as state or corporations. If integration is low and recruitment is open, the elite group is defined as abstract elite that contemporary capitalist societies are examples of this. Upper-class principle defines primary element as the social network determined by kinship, family ties, social status, intermarriage and common background and culture.
Common topics in this essay:
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According Useem,
Finally Giddens,
power elite,
elite defined,
major corporations,
established elite,
people power,
inner circle,
elite power,
ruling class,
leaders major corporations,
hegemonic democratic power-holding,
recruitment closed,
solidary elite,
elite hegemonic democratic,
power diffused issue-strength,
institutions people power,
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