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  • © 2020

Species of Capital in the Political Elite

Who Rules in Chile?

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Ties Bourdieusian sociological theory to empirical evidence gathered from datasets on the Chilean political elite from 1990-2010
  • Further develops research on political elites by measuring the effect of different forms of capital
  • Measures the impact of different forms of capital in obtaining access to important positions within the political system

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xx
  2. Introduction

    • Luis Garrido-Vergara
    Pages 1-13
  3. The Study of Political Elites: Theoretical Framework

    • Luis Garrido-Vergara
    Pages 15-68
  4. Research Methodology

    • Luis Garrido-Vergara
    Pages 147-161
  5. Conclusions and Discussion

    • Luis Garrido-Vergara
    Pages 233-241
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 243-288

About this book

Although sociological research has examined the reproduction of Chile’s elites, there is little empirical evidence as to how different forms of capital operate within them. Based on a survey of the country’s elites, this study examines the effect of different forms of capital (cultural, social and political) on access to strategic positions in the legislative and executive branches of government. It focuses on the political elite between 1990, when military dictator Augusto Pinochet handed over the presidency to Patricio Aylwin, his democratically elected successor, and 2010, the end of President Michelle Bachelet’s first government. At least three points are germane to this analysis: (1) understanding the nature of the party elites during the political transition; (2) describing and explaining the main aspects of the party elites’ background and social resources, including their family networks (independent variables); and (3) exploring the effect of those variables on individuals’ chances of achieving strategic positions in the political field, comparing the legislative and executive branches as represented by deputies and ministers (dependent variable).


Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile

    Luis Garrido-Vergara

About the author

Luis Garrido-Vergara is Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Policy and Management at the University of Santiago, Chile (USACH). He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Cambridge, UK. His research interests are political elites, public policy, public administration, network analysis, quantitative and qualitative research, local governments and democratization processes in Latin America.


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Species of Capital in the Political Elite

  • Book Subtitle: Who Rules in Chile?

  • Authors: Luis Garrido-Vergara

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41172-5

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-41171-8Published: 17 June 2020

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-41174-9Published: 17 June 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-41172-5Published: 16 June 2020

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XX, 288

  • Number of Illustrations: 35 b/w illustrations, 20 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Political Sociology, Social Theory, Social Structure, Social Inequality, Latin American Politics

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access