In the latter half of the twentieth century, The American upper
class has become less like an aristocracy governing and guiding the
nation and more like a caste, a privileged and closed body whose
contribution to national leadership has steadily declined. This
loss of power and authority has been the focus of the work of E.
Digby Baltzell, whose 1964 work, "The Protestant Establishment,
"analyzed the fate and function of a predominantly Anglo-Saxon and
Protestant upper class in an ethnically and religiously
heterogeneous democracy. After 27 years, Baltzell's theory of the
structure and function of the establishment remains unique in the
literature of class stratification and authority.
Baltzell views an open and authoritative establishment as a
necessary and desirable part of the process of securing responsible
leaders in a democratic society. Such an establishment is the
product of upper-class institutions that are open to talented
individuals of varying ethnic and social backgrounds. The values of
upper-class tradition include an aristocratic ethos emphasizing the
duty to lead, as opposed to the snobbish ethos of caste that
emphasizes only the right to privilege. Baltzell regards this as a
protector of freedom in modern democratic societies, guaranteeing
rules of fair play in contests of power and opinion.
As Baltzell points out, historically, the alternatives to rule
by establishments have been, rule by functionaries and demogogues,
neither of which has proven satisfactory in protecting freedoms. As
against Marxists, who see hegemony as a social evil, Baltzell,
following Tocqueville, sees it as necessary to the well-being of
society. Hegemonic establishments give coherence to the social
spheres of greatest contest. They do not eliminate conflict, but
prevent it from ripping society apart.
Baltzell's work provides uncommon insight into the relationship
of social class and personal power in contemporary America. This
book will be of interest to sociologists, political scientists,
historians of urban life, and American studies specialists.
General
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