Privilege Camouflage: Aligning Inherited Opportunity with Meritocracy

In an era of growing inequality, economic elites have effectively used meritocracy to legitimize their status and privilege. However, little is known about how individuals who significantly benefit from family wealth reconcile their advantages with meritocratic ideals. As its key finding, this paper introduces the concept of “privilege camouflage” to address this gap. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews with young people from the top 1% of wealthy families in China, this article illustrates how the offspring of economic elites actively conceal and downplay their inherited advantages. The findings highlight three key components of the “privilege camouflage” strategy. First, through origin cloaking, they minimize indicators of their family background, creating both real and symbolic distance from privilege. Second, by shifting attention, they redirect focus from what they already possess to what they still lack, and from the opportunities they’ve received to the challenges they face. Third, through identity remaking, they pursue fields where their family’s influence is less visible, allowing them to construct independent identities and achievements. Together, these strategies show that, in response to public criticism, elites shift from seeking distinction to presenting ordinariness—a compromise that effectively obscures inequality. The offspring of economic elites resolve the “dilemma of meritocracy” by downplaying inherited advantages and emphasizing personal achievements. The “privilege camouflage” strategy reduces public opposition to intergenerational advantage, reinforces the meritocracy myth, and ultimately legitimizes inequality. This research contributes to the broader understanding of inequality reproduction and offers insights into the subtle mechanisms that perpetuate elite dominance in contemporary societies.