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Elite Circulation

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Elites in an Egalitarian Society

Abstract

Elite structures are not static. Continually elite positions are filled with new persons, and continually some positions and organisations lose power while others become more important and powerful. These processes may result in a mere reproduction of the distribution of privileges, influence and elite status, or they may pave the way for new social or professional groups into elite positions. In Norway, reproduction is reflected in the continual prevalence of men and upper-class and upper-middle-class recruits in elite positions. Elite circulation is also manifested through the ascent and descent of groups of professionals. In this chapter, I have for instance shown how economists rose to power in public sector. In business enterprises, engineers were to a large extent replaced as top leaders by business economists and MBAs. The rise and fall of elites are related to more basic socioeconomic and political changes. There seems to be less elite mobility across sectors than in other countries.

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  1. Institute for Social Research, Oslo, Norway

    Trygve Gulbrandsen

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Gulbrandsen, T. (2019). Elite Circulation. In: Elites in an Egalitarian Society. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95984-9_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95984-9_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-95983-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-95984-9

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