Elites, Power, and Privilege: Britain’s Shifting Influence

Drawing on vast datasets, the book examines how elites attain power, the cultural and political values they uphold, and the shifting nature of privilege in Britain.

In addition to historical analysis, Reeves and Friedman incorporate insights from over 200 interviews with leading figures across diverse professions, offering a rigorous examination of both the persistence and transformation of elite influence. Their discussion will explore whether Britain’s elite remains an exclusive network shaped by institutions such as Eton and Oxford or whether a new, more progressive elite is emerging.

Join us for a lively debate on the intersection of culture, class, and the reproduction of inequality with these two renowned scholars as they offer fresh insights into the dynamics of elite power and social mobility. Their analysis speaks to broader questions of privilege, meritocracy, and the changing and persistent nature of elites in contemporary societies.

Drinks & snacks afterwards.

About the authors

Sam Friedman is a Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, specializing in class and inequality, with a focus on culture and elite professions. His work examines how social class shapes career trajectories, cultural distinctions, and access to power. He is the co-author of The Class Ceiling: Why it Pays to be Privileged, which investigates barriers to upward mobility in elite occupations, and the author of Comedy and Distinction: The Cultural Currency of a ‘Good’ Sense of Humour, which explores how humor reflects and reinforces social hierarchies.

Aaron Reeves, also a Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, studies the intersections of social class, culture, and inequality, with a particular focus on health disparities and elite influence. He is a co-author of Ageing and Health: The Politics of Better Policies, which examines generational conflicts and healthcare systems from a comparative perspective. His research spans cultural capital, political engagement, and the role of elites in shaping social and economic policies, providing critical insights into contemporary structures of power and privilege.

This talk is hosted by the Amsterdam Centre for Inequality Studies (AMCIS) and the Cultural Sociology research group (AISSR)