Elite

In sociology as in general usage, the ?lite (the "elect," from French) is a relatively small dominant group within a larger society, which enjoys a privileged status which is upheld by individuals of lower social status within the structure of a group. When applied to an individual, as in the phrase "many ?lites come to this restaurant," the usage quite economically both refers to an individual within that class and establishes the speaker as non-?lite.

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An ?lite are the result of economic and political forces within a social structure. Upon formation, societies have always had the tendency to stratify due to a combination of politics and ability. The position of an ?lite at the top of the social strata almost invariably puts it in a position of leadership and often subjects the holders of ?lite status to pressure to maintain their position as part of the ?lite. However, inspite of the pressures borne by its members, the existence of the ?lite as a social strata is usually unchanged.

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In religion the Latin form "elect" is preferred over the French form "?lite" in discussing Cathar or Calvinist theology, for examples, and the social structure that is theologically driven. Other religious groups may use expressions like "the saints" to describe the elect.

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Some ?lite groups speak a language that is not shared by the commonality: in Tsarist Russia the ?lite spoke French, in Plantagenet England the ?lite spoke Norman French, in Vietnam the ?lite spoke French, and in Ptolemaic Egypt the ?lite spoke koine Greek. (See linguistic imperialism.) ?lites establish correct usage for the language when they share one with the commonality. ?lite usage is reflected in "prescriptive" dictionaries; common usage is reflected in "descriptive" dictionaries. ?lites establish cultural canons, which are more widely agreed-upon within the ?lite and more generally ignored or resented among the non-?lite. In the 1950s, the British ?lite spoke what linguists of the time called U English.

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?lite advantages are the usual ones of a dominant social class: easier access to capital and political power, more rigorous education largely free of indoctrination, resulting in cultural influence, and leadership.

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?lites may justify their existence based on claims of inherited position; with the rise in authority of science, certain 19th and 20th century ?lites have embraced pseudoscientific justifications of genetic or racial superiority. In Nazi Germany, genetic superiority was used as the basis of an imagined "Aryan" ?lite. ?lite classes headed by monarchies have traditionally employed religious sanctions for their position.

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Meritocracy is a facet of society that tries to promote merit as a route to the ?lite. Societies such as that of the United States have it in their culture to promote such a facet . However, while it tends to be imperfect it sheds light as to what many believe to be the "ideal" ?lite: an ?lite that is porous and whose members have earnt their position as society's top class.

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?lites are educated to govern. ?lite education is sceptical and inquiring, hard-headed, intolerant of sham, demanding and unsentimental. Common public education is often designed to produce large numbers of useful and loyal citizens at low cost. The ?lite approach to understanding the nature of society is often presented in a very intellectual fashion. When an individual attains the interest to critically examine the validity of the statements they inherently must consider themselves separate from the rest of society. Critics will describe such a self-image as being ?litist in a way which excludes the bulk of society, thus preventing progress. Publicly financed ?lite education available through open competition is a symptom of a successful and confident society that is prepared for self-criticism.

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Wealth is not a sure sign of ?lite status, as the "new rich" are frequently seen as arriving from non-?lite positions. Neither does an ?lite necessarily show a sense of public obligation.

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Aristocracy and oligarchy are social systems which feature an ?lite as the ruling class. An ?lite group, ranged round the alpha male, is a distinct feature of other closely-related social primates.

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In elite theory as developed by Marxist political scientists like Michael Parenti, all sufficiently large social groups will have some kind of ?lite group within them that actively participates in the group's political dynamics. When a group is arbitrarily excluded from the larger society, such as in the case of the racism that was widespread in the United States prior to the success of the civil rights movement, then ?lite members of the excluded group may form a counter?lite to fight for their group's interests (although they may be fighting for those interests only to the extent they mesh with the counter?lite's interests). Of course, the dominant ?lite can neutralize the counter?lite through the classic divide-and-conquer strategy of admitting key members of the counter?lite into the ?lite.

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?litism usually draws envy and resentment from the lower classes and the counter-?lite. There are cases where ?lites arguably use this resentment of an ?lite to maintain their position. See Communism.

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Sociology: Sociology is a social science on the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies, sometimes defined as the study of social interactions. It is a relatively new academic discipline that evolved in the early 19th century. It concerns itself with the social rules and processes that bind ...

Group: The term group can refer to several concepts:...

Religion: Religion (see etymology below) —sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such belief. In its broadest sense som...

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