Elites in Iceland – homogeneity and internal relationships
Iceland has generally been characterized as a nation where social and economic equality are prominent, and where elite structures are relatively unimportant. There are, however, indications that elites exist, and futhermore, that they are becoming more pronounced and that inequality is on the rise....
| Published in: | Veftímaritið Stjórnmál og stjórnsýsla |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | Icelandic |
| Published: |
Stjórnsýslustofnun
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.irpa.is/article/view/a.2017.13.1.1 https://doi.org/10.13177/irpa.a.2017.13.1.1 |
| Summary: | Iceland has generally been characterized as a nation where social and economic equality are prominent, and where elite structures are relatively unimportant. There are, however, indications that elites exist, and futhermore, that they are becoming more pronounced and that inequality is on the rise. The goal of this paper is to analyze the business and commerce elite in Iceland the years 2014 and 2015, based on its relations with other elite groups and relations within the group. This allows conclusions to be drawn about the openness of the elite, its relations with the populace, and the democratic structures of the group. The analysis utilizes two data sets: Power and Democracy – A Study of Elites, and Gender Equality in Business: Evolution and Influence. Graphical analysis of elite structures was performed using R and igraph. The results indicate various internal relationship structures within the business and commerce elite. Residential homogeneity is prevalent, especially among male and older elites. A top management team member’s participation in politics or organized sports is predictive of greatly increased residential homogeneity in his or her team. The results suggest a layered elite structure and gaps in elite-populace relations. This indicates that it is important to consider the democratic structures of the Icelandic business elite and whether its homogeneity affects decision making within the elite. Á Íslandi hefur það gjarnan verið trú fólks að félagslegur og efnahagslegur jöfnuður einkenni þjóðina og að hvers konar elítur séu lítt áberandi. Engu að síður eru vísbendingar um að elítur séu til staðar, og ennfremur að þær séu styrkjast og ójöfnuður að aukast. Markmið greinarinnar er að greina viðskiptaog atvinnulífselítuna á Íslandi árin 2014 og 2015 út frá tengslum hennar við aðrar elítur sem og innbyrðis tengslum. Slík greining gefur vísbendingar um hversu opin elítan er, tengsl hennar við almenning, og um lýðræðislega uppbyggingu hópsins. Byggt er á tveimur gagnasöfnum; Vald og lýðræði – ... |
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