1956
Sociology Essay How useful is the concept of ‘elite’ for understanding the distribution of power in either Britain or the United States? Introduction In America perhaps only race is a more sensitive subject than the way we sort ourselves out in the struggle for success. The eminent sociologist Robert Merton calls it the ‘structure of opportunity’. In the understanding of the usefulness of the term ‘elite’, there are some common historical variables, which must be looked at in order to appreciate the power organisms at work even in American society, and how from the days of Thomas Jefferson to the era of Newt Gingrich, the assumption of superiority is an undercurrent in American life and society. In this essay I will attempt to show that elitist power in America is controlled by a few at the top of the political, corporate, social and religious pyramid. Moreover, the concept of natural aristocracy, or meritocracy, has a powerful resonance even in the United States of America. Historical Antecedents In understanding the usefulness of the term elite in American society, late 19th and 20th century history provides the pretext for what was called a “ fluid society “. This was a highly mechanized, industrial age in
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Major Theories, Parsons Henderson, Class Theory, Max Weber, Rupert Murdoch, Media Domination, Ivy League, Groton Hotchkiss, Politburo’ Russia, Business Week, elitist power, american society, power elite, ruling class, holland 1998, understanding usefulness term, “ “, power distributed, newt gingrich, usefulness term, understanding usefulness, published united nations, investment report 1994, report 1994 published, 1994 published united,
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Approximate Word count = 5146
Approximate Pages = 21 (250 words per page double spaced)
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