Elite Society Research Articles

The Politics of the Bagatelle: Opera and Smallpox Inoculation in Enlightenment France

AbstractThis article examines the production and reception history of C. S. Favart'sLa fête du château, commissioned by a French noblewoman, the Marquise of Monconseil, to mark her granddaughter's inoculation against smallpox in 1766. The first half of the article situates thevaudevillecomedy at the Bagatelle (Monconseil's private theatre), underscoring the gendered tropes that had accrued to the disease in the late eighteenth century and the function of elite sociability in promoting its prevention. The second half of the article reconstructs the public trajectory of the work, which was presented at Versailles after the controversial inoculation of Louis XVI in 1774. Notably, the agent behind this theatrical public-health campaign was the queen, Marie Antoinette. A consideration ofLa fête du château's popularity and influence broadens our understanding of the conditions under whichancien-régimeopera took on political meaning, as well as the role of women patrons and consumers in this process.

Kiai sebagai Kekuatan Politik dalam Pemilihan Presiden 2019 di Jawa Timur

<p><em>This study aims to analyze the political power of the kiai in the 2019 Presidential Election in East Java Province, Indonesia. The research method we use is a qualitative method with a case study type. Data collection techniques were carried out through in-depth interviews to obtain primary data and literature review through books and journals. How the power and actions of kiai in the 2019 presidential election are the focus of this journal research. The theory of political elites from Vilvredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca becomes the basis for the analysis of this journal. The results of this study see that the kiai have succeeded in winning the pair Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Ma'ruf Amin in the 2019 presidential election and can minimize the existence of identity politics in East Java. This study concludes that this success is due to the existence of the kiai as an elite in society. With moral integrity, the depth of religious knowledge and concern for the problems that exist in society become a separate political force for the kiai.</em></p>

Features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history (continued)

The article deals with the features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history. The national sociological tradition of studying religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon and a social institution, which was developed during this period, had its own unique and peculiar appearance and was just begun to revive again in post-Soviet Russia, contrasts with the tradition that took place in the West. In this context, the appeal to unfortunately undeservedly forgotten works of classics of Russian religious and socio-political though is very promising area of modern sociological research.When studying this problem, the author emphasizes the study of the works of representatives of three ideological areas of Russian religious and socio-political thought: conservatism, liberalism and socialism, as well as the peculiarities of the historical development of Russian society and the state and those events that had a significant impact on the formation and development of scientific understanding of religion in Russia. Among such features, the author, in particular, refers to the formation of an “antisystem” (systemic integrity of people who take a dim view of their homeland, hate their own nation, its values and culture, history, traditional religious, political and social systems) among the Russian intelligentsia, bureaucracy and part of the elite of Russian society, under a certain influence of Westernism, as a consequence of the spiritual schism of the 18th century, which occurred in the educated strata and elite of Russian society.When studying the features of understanding religious issues by representatives of Russian conservatism, the author of the article analyzes the views of N.Ya. Danilevsky, K.N. Leontiev, F.M. Dostoevsky, M.N. Katkov, K.P. Pobedonostsev, L.A. Tikhomirov. He notes the fact that judgment of this perspective was carried out by these authors from “Slavophile”, traditionalist (pochvennichesky and guarding) positions, in the context of judgment of features and an originality of a way of development of Russia as the center of east Christian (orthodox) culture and also empires successors of orthodox Byzantium – defenders Pravoslaviya, Orthodox church and belief, the orthodox people, values and the culture of Christianity “keeping” the world from approach of the evil and arrival of the power of Antichrist.

A European civil society elite? Analysing capital and drama at the European Economic and Social Committee

ABSTRACT Contributing to research on civil society elites in the EU context, this article focuses on the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). It explores who the main actors are, what roles they play, and what resources they use, value, and compete for in this arena. The theoretical starting points are grounded in Bourdieu’s notions of field and capital and a Goffmanesque approach to drama. Based on semi-structured interviews with EESC members and administrators, observations at EESC meetings, and document analysis, the study explores the types of capital linked to different actors and roles, stages, and scripts in the EESC field. The most valued capital across EESC stages are social capital in the form of personal networks, and cultural capital in the form of negotiation skills and issue-specific knowledge. Actors are supposed to follow a script of being pro-European, representing organised civil society in Europe, and aiming at consensus. Being active at the EESC stages, at least in leading roles, gives actors a kind of EESC-specific capital in the form of access to influential EU decision-makers.

Perception, our freedom of action versus consciousness regarding social media and website

Objectives: Apart from the benefits, social media also brings threats to teenagers. They are at risk if they access the internet under the age they are not allowed without their parent’s permission. Children and teenagers widely use social media and recent studies have shown that they spend the majority of their time daily on social media pages. This study aimed to evaluate whether our freedom of action has increased but not consciousness regarding social media and websites. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the students, teachers, and clinical doctors of East-West Medical College and Hospital and elite society of some areas at Uttara Model Town, Dhaka during the period from January 2018 to April 2018. A total of 365 purposively selected respondents were included in this study. After taking consent from the respondent data were collected by self-administered written questionnaire. Data were checked, cleaned, and edited to find any inconsistencies before entering into the computer. Analyses of data were done using computer software SPSS version 23.0. Analyzed data are presented by appropriate tables and charts. For qualitative data frequency distribution was shown. For the quantitative variables, different statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, etc.) were calculated. Results: There were altogether 23 statements and it was seen that most of the respondents agreed with the statements. The proportion of consent ranged from 52% to almost 99%. In the cases of 12 statements, it was above 90%. In cases of 6 statements, it was from 80% to 89%. In cases of 3 statements, it was from 70% to 79%. Only one statement had a proportion of consent of 69.3% and only one had 52.1%. Most (95.6%) of the respondents mentioned that one major mental fluctuation of the young due to excessive smartphone use was ‘detachment from family and society. Another important mental fluctuation was ‘aggressive attitude’ as mentioned by 68.8% of the respondents. Nearly half (47.1%) of the respondents mentioned ‘depression’. Other mental fluctuations of the young due to excessive smartphone use were ‘apathy’, ‘jealousy’, and ‘lack of love and respect for elders’ as mentioned by 26.6%, 19.2%, and 5.2% of the respondents respectively. Conclusion: There are positive and negative impacts of using the internet and different social media. But problems start when someone indiscriminately uses the internet or social media or when one uses those excessively. Aggressive attitude, detachment from family and society, apathy, depression, jealousy, lack of love, and respect for elders may be due to excessive social media use. However, it is clear that social media affects people differently, depending on preexisting conditions and personality traits. But at the same time, it would be wrong to say that social media are universally bad things because it brings myriad benefits to our lives. Update Dent. Coll. j: 2022; 12(1): 32-36

Honourable Businessmen: Respectability and ‘Gentlemanly Capitalism’ in Spain, 1840–1880

AbstractRevolution can lead to the complete political and social reconfiguration of a society. Such readjustment is often especially significant amongst the society's elites, as when ancient aristocrats had to converge with a newly emerging bourgeoisie. This article argues that over the course of the nineteenth century there was a steady process of negotiation that saw the evolution of a new form of elite, one defined by a new characteristic: respectability. This change saw successful businessmen, particularly magnates or tycoons, climbing to the top of the social ladder, as the culmination of a process that began in the eighteenth century. To illustrate this thesis, I discuss the case of Spain. I draw upon the lives of a large and diverse range of great Spanish bankers, industrialists, and businessmen. Traditionally, historiography has studied such men individually and from an economic history perspective. Here, a global, cultural approach is adopted. The chronology of the events described is not straightforward. Although the men studied are not all from a single birth cohort or even the same generation, I consider that they lived through the same social processes. The years between 1840 and 1880 were a period of intense industrial and business development in Spain during which modern economic practices were introduced. For the purposes of this article, I first situate the concept of respectability within the Spanish historiographical context, before analysing the discursive strategies that Spanish business magnates used to turn themselves into legitimate members of the county's new social elite. Finally, I study the three main symbolic tools that they employed to demonstrate their respectability and prove their status.

Het beroep op de Emder synode in de Afscheiding

The ideal of the Emden Synod of 1571 was to ensure a degree of autonomy for local Reformed churches. Three hundred years later, Emden was still remembered by the Secessionist churches in the Netherland. They affirmed the principle that those who did not belong to the traditional elite in church and society, still could actively take part in church leadership. This ‘bottom up’-principle maintains its relevance for ‘churches of the poor’, anywhere in the world.

Het beroep op de Emder synode in de Afscheiding

The ideal of the Emden Synod of 1571 was to ensure a degree of autonomy for local Reformed churches. Three hundred years later, Emden was still remembered by the Secessionist churches in the Netherland. They affirmed the principle that those who did not belong to the traditional elite in church and society, still could actively take part in church leadership. This ‘bottom up’-principle maintains its relevance for ‘churches of the poor’, anywhere in the world.

The Formation and Social Activities of the Protestant Community in St. Petersburg in the First Half of the 18th Century

In the early 18th century, Peter the Great, who wanted to promote the westernization of Russia s national society or modernization with the West as a model , accelerated the trend of westernization in Russian society as a whole. Accordingly, the Russian government reestablished diplomatic and legal relations with Western European countries such as Germany, while granting legal and economic benefits to migrants from Western Europe in order to attract professional engineers, intellectuals, and capital necessary for the construction of a new national society. These migrants were mostly Protestants, and the communities formed in St. Petersburg by them were not only religious and religious communities, but ‘sociocultural communities’ acting in various fields of Russian society. They also had a great influence on the formation of a new cultural consciousness in russian society. In addition, these communities made a great contribution to the construction of a new national social system in Russia beyond the realm of ‘community’. They served in senior positions in the administrative, economic, trade and military fields, and in the commercial field. So they also contributed to the establishment of modern production and distribution systems as western European society. They were also actively involved in the construction of the new city, St. Petersburg. Furthermore, these Protestants introduced Western European lifestyles and ideas, and had a great influence on the daily life and popular culture of the newly formed St. Petersburg city. The schools they established and operated were modeled after Western Europe, and they also played a role in producing elites in Russian society. Therefore, the influx of new ‘Western European’ religious values and diversity played an important role in changing the popular consciousness of Russian society. Overall, in the transition period from the Middle Ages to the modern era, these Protestant communities brought about great changes to Russian society which had long maintained religious and cultural isolationism.

The local kazakh elite in the second half of the ХІХ century and the beginning of the XX century and its transformation (on the basis of the materials of Aktobe region)

The article examines the socio-political activity of the Kazakh regional elite of the second half of the XIX - early XX century and its transformation. As a result of the administrative and political reforms of the 1860s-1890s, a new administrative division was introduced on the territory of the Kazakhs of the Orenburg department, according to which officials such as the volost administrator and village elders were introduced based on local self-government. The article 48 analyzes the functional responsibilities of the volost administrator and village elders introduced in the «Regulations». Based on the provisions of the 60-90s of the nineteenth century, the authors also consider the introduction of the services of the people's court, the volost mullah, studying the impact of these changes on social relations in Kazakh society, the activities and status of biys and religious figures participating in it. Also, the article separately analyzes the transformation of the institution of the bai at this stage. The composition of the Kazakh regional elite of the second half of the 19th century, in addition to volost and aul elders, included biys who served as people's judges, volost mullahs, bais, aksakals and other influential people. These were individuals with authority and influence in society. Over time, volost governors and aul elders became an integral part of the social structure of Kazakh society. During the period we are considering, the activities of representatives of this regional elite in society have undergone significant changes. Our article is devoted to the study of these transformational processes. At the end of the work, the following preliminary conclusions were drawn regarding the transformation of the Kazakh regional elite: 1. The Kazakh regional elite formed the basis of Kazakh society in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. Influential volosts, biys, religious figures, bais, aksakals continued to interact and solve the pressing problems of the people; 2. Volost governors, approved on the basis of the new reform, were eventually integrated into Kazakh society and became the main officials in public and political life; 3. Representatives of the regional Kazakh elite during this period underwent a transformation in social status and political influence. The Russian government strive to limit the authority and activities of the Kazakh biys, bais, clergy, and other influential people by introducing elected positions and various restrictions. With the establishment of Soviet power, repressive measures began against representatives of the Kazakh people and the elite, damage was done to their authority and status in society.

The Crusading Movement in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period

The crusading movement covers about 500 years of European history; the crusading idea affected all social groups in Europe and became an element of the knightly culture. This article highlights two main turning points in the history of the crusading movement: the Fourth Crusade and the conquest of Constantinople in 1204 and the end of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1291. These events lead to rethinking of the goals, objectives, and directions of the crusading movement and to expanding its geography. The crusades of the Late Middle Ages were generally more local, purposeful, pragmatic, prudent, professional, and less emotional than the campaigns of 1096–1291. The development of crusading forced the Europeans to look for explanations and justifications of their deeds. This led to the creation of the legends of their ancestors in the East. The idea of the Trojan origin of the Latins and revenge to the schismatic Greeks became important in the twelfth- and thirteenth-­century crusading literature. With the growing Turkish threat, the idea of the Frankish origin of the Turks appeared. The Trojans of Aeneas were replaced by the Trojan Turks, and in the sixteenth century by the Druze people, who were considered descendants of the first crusaders survived in the Holy Land. From the fourteenth to sixteenth century, the plans for new crusades and the legends concerning the ancestors of the crusaders were a nutritious cultural environment preserving the crusading idea. The demonstration of crusading piety and crusading zeal contributed to the achievement of the socio-­cultural and political goals of kings and knights. Through the historical memory of the ancestors of the crusaders, illusions and rhetoric about the return of the Holy Land or Constantinople, the myths and legends, the crusading idea gradually passed from real wars into a moral category and becomes a psycho-­cultural phenomenon of the political and intellectual elite of European society.

The Myth of the Traitor: “the Christian Antun” and His Role in Organizing the French Invasion of Egypt in 1798

The presented article is based on a little-known text of the Ottoman chronicler ‘Izzet Efendi al-Darandali. The court chronicler of the Grand Vizier presents a conspiracy version of the events of the Great French Revolution and the origins of the Egyptian expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte, the main role in which belonged to a certain “Christian Antun” who fled from Egypt. Behind the archetypal image of the traitorous Copt lies not only a classic myth of traitor and betrayal but also a historical figure of the main tax collector of Egyptian customs Antun Cassis, who emigrated to Europe a few years before the overthrow of the French monarchy. The text allows a deeper understanding of the way of thinking of the elite of Ottoman society, the perception of the Turkish Ulema elite of the image of “others” and “strangers”, as well as the events that took place in Europe at that time. The story of ‘Izzet Efendi al-Darandali appears to be a strange mixture of traditional ideas of the Ottoman-Muslim society trying to adapt to the new realities of the reign of Sultan Selim III (1789—1807).

The Rise of the Global Elites in Market-Driven Societies, or, (American) Men Behaving Badly

The Rise of the Global Elites in Market-Driven Societies, or, (American) Men Behaving Badly

Research on the Application Method of Interaction Design in Human-Machine Interface Design

In recent years, with the development of social economy, people's quality of life is getting better and better, and the original functions of computers can no longer meet our needs. As a result, IT elites in today's society have launched new computer technologies such as "interaction design" and "human-machine interface design" to provide convenience for the majority of computer users. Interface is a medium for transmitting information and emotions, and it has been widely used in electronic products, computers, mobile phone menus, computer software interfaces, network design and so on. "Interaction" is the direct and indirect communication between people and devices, systems, websites, etc. Interaction design is a key link in human-machine interface design, which has a great impact on the quality of products. The article briefly introduces the interactive design and the design of human-machine interface, and discusses the application method of interactive design in the design of human-machine interface.

Women as an emerging actor in peace and security: The impact of UNSCR 1325 in Albania

Implementing the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace, and Security in practice is emerging as a priority for Albanian security politics , in which the Government of Albania is endeavouring to act by increasing compliance with the norms promoted by the Resolution. This article reflects on the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 by focusing on the discourse on mainstreaming the women, peace and security norms in Albanian society. It finds that the UNSCR 1325 contributed to the increase of gender-related content in Albanian political, academic and civil society elite discourse, albeit selectively. Albanian political, academic and civil society actors appear to have been less responsive to the responsibilities of the UNSCR 1325, predictably due to the fact that Albania is not a conflict or post-conflict country, the status of which the Resolution primarily addresses. In conditions that Albania has been more responsive, the focus has been more on issues of gender equality in general rather than being guided by the specific norms of the UNSCR 1325.

The Revision of Hegemonic Masculinity in the Self-Made Man Myth: Focused on The Rise of Silas Lapham

My examination of The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells assesses the ways in which the titular hero Lapham, an emblematic self-made man figure, represents the shifting constitution of hegemonic masculinity embodied in the self-made man. Early in the twentieth century, with colossal changes in the economic landscape, the values traditionally expected of the self-made man changed drastically. During that change, moral authority, which defined one’s character, and thus used to be an essential quality of the self-made man, gradually lost its significance. However, Howells revives the significance of moral authority in the self-made man. Despite the protagonist’s failure to assimilate into elite society, Lapham “rises,” as the title suggests. For Howells, then, it appears that moral authority is an essential element in demonstrating the protagonist’s worth and ultimately his manhood. Yet, the feminine connotation ascribed onto moral authority, which is associated with the upper class, complicates the protagonist’s construction of masculinity. The upper class utilized a variety of tactics to keep the privilege of defining hegemonic masculinity’s boundaries under their control because the definition of the dominant form of masculinity continuously changed. Thus, my examination of Lapham through the analytical lens of the self-made man and upward mobility demonstrates the shifting values associated with masculinity and femininity in the period spanning the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

TOMBSTONES WITH CHRONOGRAPHS
 
 FROM THE DAGESTAN VILLAGES OF SHINAZ AND GELHEN

The paper presents the results of the study of two Arabic language epigraphic monuments from the mountain villages of Shinaz and Gelhen. The unique nature of these well-studied tombstones lies in the fact that, apart from epitaphs, there are chronographs of historic events that took place in South Dagestan and neighbouring Shirvan in the 15th-early 18th centuries carved on them. We suggest a new reading of the Arabic texts on tombstones, as well as corrections in reading the historical chronographs. It has been revealed that the owner of the epitaph of the Shinaz stele of 1798–99 is a famous Dagestan researcher of the 18th century Isma‘il al-Shinazi. The previously unknown time of his life has also been reliably determined. An alternative dating of a similar stele from Gelhen, located on the grave of a representative of the hereditary spiritual elite of this village, ‘Abdurahman-effendi, son of malla Ibrahim, is proposed. The stele was made in 1848–49, exactly half a century after the Shinaz one. We came to conclusion that the source for the chronographs of both steles was not the chronograph created in 1710–12, as was previously believed. The direct source was the handwritten historical chronograph of Malij al-Rutuli from 1754–55. It is believed that the manuscript with the chronograph Malij al-Rutuli belonged to the scholar Sa‘id al-Shinazi, the son of Isma‘il al-Shinazi. It seems that Sa‘id al-Shinazi was the compiler of the entire text of the Shinaz stele on his father’s grave. It has been established that the texts of both steles contain excerpts from medieval Arabic poetry. The authors of these verses are the Caliph ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (d. 661) and the famous mystic of the ‘Abbasid era, Mansur al-Hallaj (d. 922). Al-Hallaj’s poems were first recorded in the epigraphy of Dagestan. The South Dagestan’s practice of including historical chronographs in the texts of tombstones, despite its rarity, undoubtedly testifies to the interest that representatives of the intellectual elite of Dagestan society showed to the study of history. The thesis of the close connection of epigraphic monuments of Dagestan with narrative texts has also been confirmed.

A Political Geography of Cairo’s Eastern Suburban Spaces

Egypt’s suburban areas have been undergoing multiple developments since the coming to power of current Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. In 2014, the president announced the project of the New Administrative Capital (NAC), which includes the moving of the administrative offices from downtown Cairo to the newly found suburban space. The symbolic importance around the creation of the NAC is in its constant attachment with the rise of the “new republic” in the president’s speeches. However, this has not been the only symbolic use of new suburban spaces East of Cairo. The street names of New Cairo show a cultural and political instrumentalization of space. Using street names in New Cairo, I show how a specific official narrative – as city text – unfolds around the Egyptian army’s personnel and political actors who crown this suburban area’s streets with their names and symbolic significance. How does the city-text of new suburban areas East of Cairo – the NAC and New Cairo – conveys hegemony in Egypt? I illustrate in this essay how this city text could be traced in this area and how this text affirms the state narrative and the founding of a new elite society.

Women as Folk Song Collectors in Slovakia. From Romantic Nationalism to the Beginnings of Modern Research

Abstract Collecting activities were an important cultural and social phenomenon in 19th century Europe. Women also participated in these activities, although in many cultures their role and the results of their collecting work have not yet been adequately evaluated. Taking the example of Slovakia, it is possible to highlight the contribution of women in collecting folk songs, while encompassing those features which are specific to the regional circumstances. Women took part in all important collecting projects of the 19th century in Slovakia. Reconstruction of their socio-cultural background highlighted the fact that at the inception of these projects women of the aristocracy and gentry were active collectors. The majority of female collectors came from families of the Slovak intelligentsia, who belonged to the middle class. By the end of the 19th century many such families had become part of the contemporary elite of Slovak society. We focus on two research questions: 1, how did the gender category of the collector condition the record of song material (an aspect of the collection concept); and 2, what contribution did women’s collecting activities make to the study of traditional song culture (an aspect of the collected material). A definition of women’s concept of collecting, with primary orientation on song lyrics, was deduced from the 19th century preference for the national language and the role of Slovak women in its diffusion in private as well as public life, and from analysis of the genre structure of the collected material. The romantic concept of collecting in Slovakia is compared with an early concept of documentation at the beginning of the 20th century which derived from abroad, although some of its elements were beginning to take effect also in domestic collecting activities.

Breakfast at Frogmore and Feathers in Portman Square: Women’s Property and Elite Sociability

C’est une fois veuve et fortunée qu’Elizabeth Montagu entreprit la construction de Montagu House, sur Portman Square, quittant la maison de Hill Street, où elle avait vécu avec son mari, pour faire de son salon littéraire un endroit très couru : les visiteurs admiraient notamment la décoration de ce qu’elle nommait son « salon aux plumes ». Une dizaine d’années plus tard, en 1790, la reine Charlotte acquit Frogmore, sa résidence à la campagne près du château de Windsor, qui devait accueillir nombre de déjeuners élégants, de réceptions d’anniversaire fastueuses et de commémorations royales. Dans l’étude des formes de sociabilité, les demeures privées jouent un rôle important. Cet article se penche sur les espaces de sociabilités de l’élite féminine, en étudiant les demeures des femmes : comment celles-ci utilisaient-elles un espace domestique construit et décoré selon leurs propres goûts ? Que révèlent ces intérieurs sur la conception qu’elles se faisaient de la sociabilité distinguée de l’époque et, par conséquent, sur leur perception du rôle de leurs demeures en tant qu’espaces de sociabilité ?