5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Elites have always been a phenomenon that sociology aims to understand and explain. Concepts such as power, bureaucracy, and capital, which are timeless topics of sociology, have always entailed the analysis of a class possessing power, property, and privilege. Every sociological study aiming to reveal the hierarchies and inequalities in the social structure must also address upper classes and status groups. Today, the sociology of elites is a sub-branch developing through both conceptual and methodological practices and approaches. In contemporary societies, topics such as elites, elite formation, and elite differentiation are often discussed in the public sphere with superficial and unscientific notions, making them highly dependent on social scientific studies. In this panel, presentations will focus on the objectification of various elite groups within the social structure, placing scientific problematics and field research at the center. Current research findings on elites as members of professional occupations; cultural elites relying on advantageous paths within the education system and cultural capital; political and bureaucratic elites; and international elite migration will be shared in this panel. The panel aims to discuss research practices and experiences concerning ways to objectify elites, the dilemmas of quantitative datasets on elite groups, the methodological challenges posed by elites’ discourses and self-presentations, and the skills and tactics required for conducting interviews with elites.