The Worldviews of Elites: Differences Between Inheritors and Newcomers
1School of Sociology, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
The British Journal of Sociology
|May 3, 2026
Summary
Chilean elites show significant political attitude variations based on their elite type and social origins. Economic elites and those from elite backgrounds exhibit more conservative and inegalitarian views, highlighting divisions between inheritors and newcomers.
Area of Science:
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Elite Studies
Background:
- Elite political attitudes are crucial for policy outcomes.
- Understanding variations within elites is key to analyzing political dynamics.
- Chile presents a unique case for studying elite attitudes due to its socioeconomic structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine variations in Chilean elites' political attitudes across socioeconomic and sociocultural dimensions.
- To propose and test a framework linking elite power sources (economic, political, cultural) to attitude divergence.
- To investigate the role of intergenerational persistence and mobility in shaping elite political views.
Main Methods:
- Survey data from 416 individuals from Chilean economic, political, and cultural elites (2019-2020).
- Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to explore attitude variations.
- Multivariate regression models to identify determinants of elite attitudes.
Main Results:
- Substantial variation exists in elite political attitudes, with socioeconomic and sociocultural orientations strongly aligned.
- Elite type and social origins significantly shape attitudes; economic elites and those from elite backgrounds are most conservative and inegalitarian.
- Attitudinal tensions are evident between 'inheritors' (from elite families) and 'newcomers' across and within elite groups.
Conclusions:
- Elite political attitudes in Chile are not monolithic and are influenced by power sources and social origins.
- The distinction between inherited and acquired elite status is a critical factor in understanding political cleavages.
- Findings offer insights into the composition and potential fragmentation of Chilean elites.
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