Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the elite — a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern [1]. Elite (also spelled Élite) is taken originally from the Latin, eligere, "to elect" Wealth derives from the old English word "weal" which means "well-being Alternatively, the term elitism may be used to describe a situation in which power is concentrated in the hands of the elite.
Opposed to elitism are "anti-elitism," "populism," and the political theory of pluralism. Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political Political philosophy is the study of questions about the City, Government, Politics, Liberty, Justice, Property, Rights The political theory of pluralism holds that Political power in society does not lie with the Electorate, nor with a small concentrated Elite, but is distributed Elite theory is the sociological or political science analysis of elite influence in society - elite theorists regard pluralism as an utopian ideal. Elite theory is a theory of the State which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships in modern society
Elitism may also refer to situations in which an elite individual assumes special privileges and responsibilities in the hope that this arrangement will benefit humanity.
At times, elitism is closely related to social class and what sociologists call social stratification. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" In Sociology, social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of Social classes Castes and strata within a Society. Members of the upper classes are sometimes, though inaccurately, known as the "social elite. "
The term elitism is also sometimes misused to denote situations in which a group of people claiming to possess high abilities or simply an in-group or cadre grant themselves extra privileges at the expense of others. In Sociology, an ingroup is a social group towards which an individual feels Loyalty and respect usually due to membership in the group En cadre is a military expression for a group around whom a unit is formed or a training staff This debased form of elitism may be described as discrimination. Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is
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Characteristics of the "elite"
Attributes that identify an elite vary; personal achievement may not be essential. Elite usually denotes a person or group who is the best in a class. Elite attributes include:
- Rigorous study of, or great accomplishment within, a particular field of study
- A long track record of competence in a demanding field
- An extensive history of dedication and effort in service to a specific discipline (e. g. , medicine or martial arts)
- A high degree of accomplishment, training or wisdom within a given field
An elite fighter, for example, is one whose training, resolve, and experience in combat place him at the top of his field. Most nations employ some kind of special forces made up of elite soldiers whose training goes far beyond what is typical for the average soldier.
The academic elite, on the other hand, comprises only those professors whose studies are likely to shape their respective disciplines for years to come.
Some synonyms for elite might be "World class," "Upper-class," and "Aristocratic," indicating that the individual in question is capable of participating effectively at the very highest levels of his or her chosen discipline.
Anti-elitism
Elitism as a pejorative term
The term "elitism" or the title "elitist" can be used resentfully [1] by a person who is not a member of an elite, or is a member but resents the elite position or uses it in a condescending or cynical manner in order to ridicule or criticize practices which discriminate on the basis of ability or attributes. Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political The political theory of pluralism holds that Political power in society does not lie with the Electorate, nor with a small concentrated Elite, but is distributed Cynicism (Kυνισμός originally comprised the various philosophies of a group of ancient Greeks called the Cynics, founded by Often, such as in politics, it used to describe persons as out of touch with the common people. 'Common people' redirects here For the song see Common People. The implication is that the "elitist" person or group thinks they are better than everyone else, and therefore put themselves before others. It could be seen as a synonym for snob. A snob, guilty of snobbery, is someone who adopts the Worldview that some people are inherently inferior to him/her for any one of a variety of reasons including An elitist is not always seen as truly elite, but only privileged. This use is often employed in politics in societies where social equality is valued, and the middle and lower classes have political power.
Elitism versus egalitarianism
Elitism can be interpreted as encouraging the exclusion of large numbers of people from positions of privilege or power. Thus, many populists seek the social equality of Egalitarianism, Populism, Socialism, or Communism. Egalitarianism (derived from the French word égal, meaning equal) is a political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals and have Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based They may also support affirmative action, social security, luxury taxes, and increasingly high progressive taxes for the wealthiest members of society. Affirmative action in the United States|Employment equity (Canada|Reservation in India|Numerus clausus The term affirmative action describes many policies aimed at a historically Social security primarily refers to a Social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions including poverty old For the special case of the term "luxury tax" applied to the salaries of athletes see Luxury tax (sports A luxury tax is a Tax on Luxury A progressive tax is a Tax imposed so that the Tax rate increases as the amount subject to taxation increases All of these measures seek to reduce the gap of power between "the elite" and "the ordinary".
Elitism versus pluralism
Pluralism is the belief that public policy decisions should be (or, descriptively, are) the result of the struggle of forces exerted by large populations (workers, consumers, retirees, parents, etc. The political theory of pluralism holds that Political power in society does not lie with the Electorate, nor with a small concentrated Elite, but is distributed ) directly or indirectly in the policy-making process. This is contrasted with elitism which is the belief that decisions should be (or are being) made essentially according to the interests or ideas of elites. There is a difference, however, between the idea of being more able to fulfill a political task and the actual knowing of the specialization and specifications of each corporation or other group among the general population and its particular hopes and needs, which suggests a way of cooperation which has been recently put into practice in some countries between politicians and groups of citizens which have some remote resemblances to Corporatism. Historically corporatism (corporativismo refers to a political or Economic system in which power is held by civic assemblies that represent Economic
Elitism and education
Elitism in the context of education is the practice of concentrating attention on or allocating funding to the students who rank highest in a particular field of endeavour, with the other students being deemed less capable of achievement or as holding less promise for the society's future. Academic elitism is a charge sometimes levied at Academic institutions and academics more broadly use of the term " Ivory tower " often carries with it Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation Verb "studēre" For example, a politician who promotes specialized biochemistry classes for highly intelligent students in an effort to cure diseases might be accused of elitism.
Elitism in education could be based upon learning ability, knowledge, or other abilities. An elite school could merely be a wealthy school or an old school. Some examples of an elitist school are most often in countries with high schooling standards such as Korea, Japan, Singapore and Thailand.
See also
- Aristocracy
- Classism
- Limousine liberal
- High culture and popular culture
- Meritocracy
- Champagne socialist
- Social class
- Tall poppy syndrome
- Oligarchy (political governance by "the few")
- Esotericism
- Thomas R. Dye (political scientist who has written widely on the subject of Elite theory)
- Pluralism in politics (the polar opposite of elitism)
- Noble lie are lies told to maintain elitist societies
References
Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Classism is prejudice and/or discrimination on the basis of socioeconomic class Limousine liberal (also latte liberal, limousine leftist, learjet liberal, lakefront liberal, Lexus liberal, MasterCard Marxist High culture is a term now used in a number of different ways in Academic discourse whose most common meaning is the set of cultural products mainly in the Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — Meritocracy is a system of a government or another organization wherein Appointments are made and responsibilities are given based on demonstrated talent and Ability A " champagne socialist " is a pejorative political term originating in the United Kingdom. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. Tall Poppy Syndrome ( TPS) is a Pejorative term used in the United Kingdom Australia Canada and New Zealand to describe what is seen as a leveling Social Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment Thomas R Dye is an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Florida State University. The political theory of pluralism holds that Political power in society does not lie with the Electorate, nor with a small concentrated Elite, but is distributed In politics a noble lie is a Myth or untruth, often but not invariably of a religious nature knowingly told by an Elite to maintain social harmony particularlyDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic