Ideas Matter: ‘The insecurity of the ruling class and the rise of the cultural elite’

From the series ‘The elite: old and new’, theme of the boi charity’s event The Academy, held online in November 2021.

Political discourse revolves around questions of power relations. Yet defining who really has power over society seems harder than ever. How do we understand the ‘elite’ and what gives them power? Has the elite changed its character, and if so how, and from when? This lecture examines the role of culture in elite self-understanding and self-definition and looks at how culture became a key battleground in challenges to their authority.

Lecture by Professor Frank Furedi, sociologist and social commentator; author, 100 Years of Identity Crisis: culture war over socialisation

THE ACADEMY ONLINE IV: The elite: old and new
To view the full programme and some suggested background reading to the talks, please visit  https://theboi.co.uk/academy-online-iv  

ASSOCIATED READING

For this lecture you may wish to read:-

• ‘The Power Elite’ by C. Wright Mills, 1956 https://amzn.to/2ZpC1TB
• ‘100 years of the culture war’, Frank Furedi, spiked, 17 September 2021 https://bit.ly/3E0Tscg

THE ACADEMY
In the context of today’s instrumental approaches to knowledge, The Academy summer school is a modest attempt to demonstrate the value of scholarship, and of the worth of the university as a place of free enquiry dedicated to the pursuit of truth.

DONATING TO THE BOI CHARITY
The BOI charity is committed to continuing to host discussion and debates throughout this period when society is restricted by measures to tackle coronavirus. In order to help us realise events such as the Academy Online, please consider a donation, small or large. Visit: https://theboi.co.uk/donate

IDEAS MATTER PODCAST
Ideas Matter is a podcast that takes the most important issues of our times and explores the ideas and intellectual trends that have shaped where we are today.

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