Research Methodology

Abstract

This chapter describes the methodological design of the research. Studying political elites entails a series of complexities associated with their origin and how they function. One of the aspects underlying the definition of this study relates to the use of species of capital within the political elite. In this context, a fundamental assumption of the research strategy is that species of capital, in their multiple forms, are a decisive resource for obtaining access to important positions in the public sector which is, in turn, a key aspect of the functioning of the political elite. As select groups, political elites employ certain practices in order to maintain a degree of exclusivity with respect to the rest of society. It is, therefore, difficult for non-members to access them as objects of research (second order research).The chapter then discusses the prior interviews with key members of the elite as an essential part of the process of defining the socio-historical analysis of eight important families in the Chilean political elite and the comparative quantitative analysis of the effects of species of capital on access to the legislature (deputies) and the executive (ministers). Finally, the methodological scope and limitations of the strategy of analysis are discussed.