The Elite and the Elites

Abstract

Individuals of high special personal belong to the elite of their group. Social ascendancy, however, is directed toward a position of high total social prestige. Such social prestige can be attained only when an individual holds an elite position in several elite groups that belong to elite categories. Some groups and categories are firxed (for instance, those of family and racial belongingness); others allow for horizontal and vertical social mobility. Individual efforts will, therefore, tend to make use of the freedom of changing groups, where such change is feasible. Where belonging to a group is fixed, trends for social improvement will take the form of gaining enhanced prestige for one's group and category. Intragroup prestige is largely achievement prestige, qualified, however, by the phenomenon of transfer of intergroup prestige and intercategorial prestige. This transfer is a cause of intragroup struggle and sometimes the cause of group collapse or shifting of group functions. Group str...