Research Methods for Elite Studies

by George Moyser (Editor), Margaret Wagstaffe (Editor)

Overview

Elites are crucial groups of people in all but the very simplest societies. Whether one is concerned with politics and government, the economy, or the wider culture and structure of society, they are the people who occupy the central positions of influence that, in turn, enable them to help shape the character and direction of the whole society.

But who exactly are they, and how does one study them? In sharp contrast to the ordinary citizenry, the methodology for the study of elites was contentious and under-developed at the time. Originally published in 1987, Research Methods for Elite Studies provided a wide-ranging survey of the techniques, problems, issues and practicalities of elite research. These are explored through case studies conducted by a range of experts, all personally involved in the field of elite research about which they write. Methodology here is not divorced from substance, but vividly set in its context by the researchers.

Research Methods for Elite Studies is directed to all social scientists who seek to understand the working of the powerful in society. In particular, those concerned with political power, with the functioning of social and political institutions, with economic enterprises, and above all with the diverse variety of leaders in society, will find the volume essential reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041065821
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/30/2025
Series:	Contemporary Social Research
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr. George Moyser is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Vermont. He holds a Ph.D from the University of Michigan. He has served as Research Director on several funded projects in the fields of political participation and religion and politics. He has published several books and numerous articles in professional journals.

Margaret Wagstaffe was, at the time of original publication, a Research Associate in the Department of Government at the University of Manchester.

Table of Contents

Preface.  1. Studying Elites: Theoretical and Methodological Issues George Moyser and Margaret Wagstaffe  Part I: Political and Social Elites  2. Surveying National Elites in the Federal Republic of Germany Ursula Hoffmann-Lange  3. Studying Members of the United States Congress Barbara Sinclair and David Brady  4. Interviewing Party-Political Elites in Italy Geoffrey Pridham  5. Studying a Religious Elite: The Case of the Anglican Episcopate Kenneth Medhurst and George Moyser  6. Oral History as an Instrument of Research into Scottish Educational Policy-Making Charles Raab  Part II: Economic Elites  7. The Fly on the Wall of the Inner Sanctum: Observing Company Directors at Work John Winkler  8. The Study of a Business Elite and Corporate Philanthropy in a United States Metropolitan Area Joseph Galaskiewicz  9. Working on Directors: Some Methodological Issues Peter Brannen  Part III: Defensive Elites  10. The Threatened Elite: Studying Leaders in an Urban Community Margaret Wagstaffe and George Moyser  11. Elite Studies in a ‘Paranocracy’: The Northern Ireland Case Paul Arthur  12. The Study of Soviet and East-European Elites Christopher Binns  13. Interview Political Elites in Taiwan Moshe M. Czudnowski.  Bibliography.  Index.