El estudio de las élites en Chile: aproximaciones conceptuales y metodológicas

Abstract

The study of the elites has been a very relevant topic for social sciences, with the political and economic elites as a focus of interest for the political science and sociology. Despite this, the study of the Chilean elites was somewhat stagnant in past decades; however, that situation is changing. This paper presents a synthesis of research, which is central to understand the sociology of the Chilean elites over the last twenty years. Additionally, it highlights the theoretical understandings that have occurred and offers perspectives for further research in the area, which match with the uninterrupted government of a centre-left coalition (la Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia). Additionally, the paper highlights the theoretical understandings that have occurred, offering perspectives for further research in the area, which are related to the study of social networks and partisan environment, also suggests promoting studies which linking political and economic elites with cultural (epistemic communities). The synthesis of research shows the existence of a local and solid theory; it shows how the different research agree on the importance of technocratic phenomenon for the Chilean case, and also indicate the existence of an important core of technopols and a transversal party which shows the strength of the ties inside the Concertacion.

Bastián González-Bustamante

Post-doctoral Researcher

Post-doctoral Researcher in Computational Social Science at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs at Leiden University, Netherlands.