Taste matters

Cultural capital and elites in proximate Strategic Action Fields

Bibliographic Data

ID5819904
AuthorsCrawford Spence (0000-0001-7290-244X, University of Warwick, corresponding author), Chris Carter (0000-0002-6391-362X, University of Edinburgh), Javier Husillos (0000-0001-7931-8801, University of Strathclyde, corresponding author), Pablo Archel (Universidad Publica de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain,, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume70
Issue2
Pages211-236
Publication date2016-06-29
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0018726716649247
OpenAlexW2415300655
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited51

Recent literature suggests that elites are increasingly fragmented and divided. Yet there is very little empirical research that maps the distinctions between different elite groups. This article explores the cultural divisions that pertain to elite factions in two distinct but proximate Strategic Action Fields. A key insight from the article is that the public sector faction studied exhibits a much broader, more aesthetic set of cultural dispositions than their private sector counterparts. This permits a number of inter-related contributions to be made to literature on both elites and field theory. First, the findings suggest that cultural capital acts as a salient source of distinction between elite factions in different Strategic Action Fields. Second, it is demonstrated how cultural capital is socially functional as certain cultural dispositions are strongly homologous with specific professional roles. Third, the article demonstrates the implications for the structure of the State when two culturally distinct elites are brought together in a new Strategic Action Field

Capital (architecture · Elite · Management and Organizational Studies · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Capital and Networks