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{{Short description|Notion that elites deserve more influence}}
'''Elitism''' is a belief or attitude that an ] — a selected group of persons whose personal abilities, specialized training or other attributes place them at the top of any field (see below) — are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken most seriously, or who are alone fit to govern. Elites may also treat others as not being good enough to be their companions. Thus elitism sees an elite as occupying a special position of authority or ] in a group, set apart from the majority of people who do not match up with their abilities or attributes. Thus this selected elite is treated with '''favouritism'''. Members of an ''inherited'' elite are ]s and naturally tend towards preserving the status quo.
{{Redirect|Elitist}}
{{Wiktionary|elite|elitism}}
{{Discrimination sidebar}}
'''Elitism''' is the notion that individuals who form an ] — a select group with desirable qualities such as ], ], ], ], notability, special ], ], ] — are more likely to be constructive to society and deserve greater influence or authority.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/elitist|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925233306/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/elitist|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 25, 2016|title=elitist {{!}} Definition of elitist in English by Oxford Dictionaries|website=Oxford Dictionaries {{!}} English|access-date=March 4, 2019}}</ref> The term ''elitism'' may be used to describe a situation in which power is concentrated in the hands of a limited number of people. Beliefs that are in opposition to elitism include ], ] (against powerful institutions perceived to be controlled by elites), ], and the ] of ].


] is the sociological or political science analysis of elite influence in society: elite theorists regard ] as a ]. Elitism is closely related to ] and what ]s term "]". In modern ], social stratification is typically defined in terms of three distinct ]es: the ], the ], and the ].<ref name="Saunders1990">{{cite book | author-link=Peter Robert Saunders | url=https://archive.org/details/socialclassstrat0000saun | url-access=registration | title=Social Class and Stratification | publisher=Routledge | last=Saunders | first=Peter | year=1990 | isbn=978-0-415-04125-6}}</ref>
For the converse of "elitism" see "]" and "]".


Some ]s for "elite" might be "upper-class" or "]", indicating that the individual in question has a relatively large degree of control over a society's ]. This includes those who gain this position due to socioeconomic means and not personal achievement. However, these terms are misleading when discussing elitism as a political theory, because they are often associated with negative "class" connotations and fail to appreciate a more unbiased exploration of the philosophy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/elitist|title=ELITIST {{!}} meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary|website=dictionary.cambridge.org|language=en|access-date=4 March 2019}}</ref>
Attributes that identify an elite vary; personal achievement may not be essential. Attributes of elites include:


==Characteristics==
* High level of ]
Attributes that identify an elite vary; personal achievement may not be essential. Elite status ''can'' be based on personal achievement, such as degrees from top-rate universities or impressive internships and job offers, as well as on lineage or passed-on fame from parents or grandparents.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
* Membership in powerful ]s and desirable clubs
* High level of ]
* High level of ] in a given field (])
* High ]
* High natural abilities such as ] abilities
* High ]
* Good ], since "taste" is defined by the elite
* Claimed innate qualities, abilities, or other ].


As a term, "elite" usually describes a person or group of people who are members of the uppermost class of society, and wealth can contribute to that class determination. Personal attributes commonly purported by elitist theorists to be characteristic of the elite include: rigorous study of, or great accomplishment within, a particular field; 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 law) or a high degree of accomplishment, training or ] within a given field; a high degree of physical ].{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
Commonly, large amount of personal ], often assessed as the reward of elite qualities by those who are impressed by it, are insufficient on their own, as every ] can attest.


Elitists tend to favor social systems such as ], combined with ] and/or ], as opposed to political ] and ]. Elitists believe only a few "movers and shakers" truly change society, rather than the majority of people who only vote and elect the elites into power.<ref>{{cite web|title=Elite (elitist) theory|url=http://www.auburn.edu/~johnspm/gloss/elite_theory|website=auburn.edu|publisher=Auburn University|access-date=13 August 2014}}</ref>
The term ''elitism'' is also used to refer to situations where a group of people who claim to possess high abilities or simple an ] or ] conspire to give themselves extra privileges at the expense of all other people. This form of elitism may be described as '']''.


⚫ ==See also==
Less commonly, ''elitism'' may also refer to situations where an elite is given both special privileges and special responsibilities, in the hope that this arrangement will benefit all people.
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==References==
At times elitism is closely related to ] and stratification. People within a higher social class are usually known as the "social elite".
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
== Anti-elitism ==
{{Wikiquote}}

{{Wiktionary|elitism}}
: ''Main article: ]''
* ] (June 2008). . "Our best universities have forgotten that the reason they exist is to make minds, not careers." ''].'' &nbsp; of William Deresiewicz's book '']'' (April 2015), '']''

The term "elitism" or the title "elitist" can be used resentfully by a person who is not a member of an elite, or is a member but resents their position or uses it in a condescending or cynical manner in order to ridicule or criticise practices which discriminate on the basis of ability or attributes. Often, accusing someone of being an "elitist" is a ] remark meant to imply that the person in question does not in fact belong to an elite, but is merely a hanger-on. Elitism can be seen as encouraging the exclusion of large numbers of people from positions of privilege or power. Thus, many anti-elitists seek the social equality of ], ], ], or ]. They may also support ], ], ], and increasingly high ] for the wealthiest members of society. All of these measures seek to reduce the gap of power between the elites and non-elites.

== Elitism and education ==

: ''Main article: ]''

'''Elitism''' in the context of ] is the practice of concentrating attention on or allocating funding to the ]s who rank highest in a particular field of endeavour, the other students being deemed less worthy of attention.

Elitism in education could be based upon learning ability, knowledge, or other abilities.

⚫ == See also ==

* ]
⚫ * ]
* ]
* ]
⚫ * ]


{{Discrimination}}
{{Political philosophy}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}


] ]
]

] ]
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Latest revision as of 21:42, 25 October 2024

Notion that elites deserve more influence "Elitist" redirects here. For other uses, see Elitist (disambiguation).
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Elitism is the notion that individuals who form an elite — a select group with desirable qualities such as intellect, wealth, power, physical attractiveness, notability, special skills, experience, lineage — are more likely to be constructive to society and deserve greater influence or authority. The term elitism may be used to describe a situation in which power is concentrated in the hands of a limited number of people. Beliefs that are in opposition to elitism include egalitarianism, anti-intellectualism (against powerful institutions perceived to be controlled by elites), populism, and the political theory of pluralism.

Elite theory is the sociological or political science analysis of elite influence in society: elite theorists regard pluralism as a utopian ideal. Elitism is closely related to social class and what sociologists term "social stratification". In modern Western societies, social stratification is typically defined in terms of three distinct social classes: the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class.

Some synonyms for "elite" might be "upper-class" or "aristocratic", indicating that the individual in question has a relatively large degree of control over a society's means of production. This includes those who gain this position due to socioeconomic means and not personal achievement. However, these terms are misleading when discussing elitism as a political theory, because they are often associated with negative "class" connotations and fail to appreciate a more unbiased exploration of the philosophy.

Characteristics

Attributes that identify an elite vary; personal achievement may not be essential. Elite status can be based on personal achievement, such as degrees from top-rate universities or impressive internships and job offers, as well as on lineage or passed-on fame from parents or grandparents.

As a term, "elite" usually describes a person or group of people who are members of the uppermost class of society, and wealth can contribute to that class determination. Personal attributes commonly purported by elitist theorists to be characteristic of the elite include: rigorous study of, or great accomplishment within, a particular field; 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 law) or a high degree of accomplishment, training or wisdom within a given field; a high degree of physical discipline.

Elitists tend to favor social systems such as technocracy, combined with meritocracy and/or plutocracy, as opposed to political egalitarianism and populism. Elitists believe only a few "movers and shakers" truly change society, rather than the majority of people who only vote and elect the elites into power.

See also

References

  1. "elitist | Definition of elitist in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  2. Saunders, Peter (1990). Social Class and Stratification. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-04125-6.
  3. "ELITIST | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  4. "Elite (elitist) theory". auburn.edu. Auburn University. Retrieved 13 August 2014.

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