“The Names of Power. How to Define Latin American Economic Elites?”

HEREDIA, MARIANA; SAHAKIAN, YAMILA

Wealth, Development and Social Inequalites in Latin America: Transdisciplinary Insights

Routledge

Lugar: Nueva York/London; Año: 2023; p. 20 - 36

Elites evoke such strong feelings that it is difficult for the social sciences to define them a point of reference and find a neutral term free of connotations. “High society,” “bourgeoisie,” “upper class,” “big businessmen,” “establishment,” “ruling class,” “the rich,” “1%,” are used interchangeably without further precision. In particular, the ties between the elite and the upper class have been discussed in the specialized literature on the subject. While these words are usually employed today as synonyms, they come from different traditions. The upper class is rooted in the Marxist tradition and refers to those who accumulate the greatest amount of wealth. The elite goes back to Machiavelli’s writings and refers to those who control the levers of power. To contribute to a deeper and more precise understanding, this chapter provides an intellectual history of mid-range concepts that are most frequently used to name the socioeconomic elites in Latin America, focusing on four of the continent’s major nations: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.ISBN y Páginas de fantasia