4.1: Elites. Transformations. Community
Social research centers on the analysis of the complex processes shaping contemporary societies. Combining perspectives from the social sciences – including cultural and social anthropology, sociology, and political science – researchers reflect on power, inequality, identity, and the relationships between elites and the rest of society, from both historical and contemporary perspectives. These issues are analyzed through individual research projects alongside collaborative efforts in creating teams, laboratories, and research initiatives that enable the analysis of social processes within an interdisciplinary and comparative framework.
One of the key research undertakings is the Laboratory for the Analysis of Elite and Intelligentsia Transformations (Elitylab). The starting point for its activity is the conviction that elites play a fundamental role in shaping contemporary societies, and that their significance remains high despite dynamic political, economic, and cultural shifts.
The research focuses on the study of broadly defined elites and their reconfigurations under the conditions of globalization, responding to one of the key challenges of modern social sciences: the diagnosis of increasing tensions between elites and the remainder of society. The scope of research encompasses both the analysis of contemporary elites and in-depth historical-social perspectives regarding their genesis, formation, and long-term transformations. The research team tracks new trends and processes occurring within elites while simultaneously analyzing the adaptive strategies of so-called “old” elites in the face of changing social, political, and cultural realities.
Particular attention is paid to the transformation processes of elites in Central and Eastern Europe. Research is conducted in two main areas: first, political elites in Poland and Ukraine under conditions of war and dynamic social change; and second, the transformations of the intelligentsia in the region. In this second strand, the analysis covers both national and local elites, as well as the role of intellectuals in public life and the tensions between elitism (the privileged position of a specific group) and egalitarianism (the need for equal treatment in society).
An essential dimension of this research activity is active participation in academic life and public debate. Organized conferences, seminars, and debates foster the international exchange of knowledge and experience, creating a space for critical reflection on the challenges facing contemporary societies.
The concept of the elite
Originally, the word was associated with the concept of selection, denoting that which was “select” in reference to goods. As late as the 18th century, the term “elite” referred not to people, but to luxury goods of exceptional value. It was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that the meaning of the term shifted to describe a social group chosen from the broader population because of its qualifications or the prestige it enjoyed. Often, elites were formed by the wealthiest strata of society.
↑ Anthony van Dyck, Flemish painter at the English court, Lord John Stuart and his brother, Lord Bernard Stuart, c. 1638. A portrait of representatives of the elite of that era.
↓ President of the Republic of Poland Ignacy Mościcki at a ball in the banquet hall of the Royal Castle, 1935, Illustrated Daily Courier Concern (photo: National Digital Archive).