Projects / Programmes
Cultural Characteristics of Slovenian Elites in the Context of Integration into European Union
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.03.00 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S210 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
elites, culture, identity, Slovenia, European union, postsocialist societies, sysetmic modernisation, integration
Researchers (2)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
19987 |
PhD Matevž Tomšič |
Political science |
Researcher |
2003 - 2004 |
0 |
| 2. |
02469 |
PhD Niko Toš |
Sociology |
Head |
2003 - 2004 |
0 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The research project deals with the analysis of (national) elites, especially different cultural aspects, related to it. The problem of elites - as those groups that play the crucial role in society - occupied sociology from its very beginnings and also today is one of its most important research topics. The research's goal is to analyse the cultural profile of transition elites in Slovenia - especially their dividedness between national and European identity - in the light of process of integration into European institutional system.
In the context of postsocialist societies like Slovenian one, elites are the principal agent of systemic transformation in a sense of establishment of a western type of social order - and integration into European union is one of the most important element of this transformation. However, elites themselves are subjects of transformation (differentiation, authonomisation and pluralisation of elites). Our thesis is that Slovenian elites are still in the phase of their consolidation - in the sense of their self-formation as distinct groups with their specific status and identity.
In the process of integration into European union, elite (different segments of elite) play a double role: on European level as a representative of national interests and on national level as a generator of "europeisation" of society. There are different cultural traits of elite relevant in this context like a relationship between national and supra-national identity or an extent of pluralism of value and ideological orientations, as well as some other elements that influence its cultural profile (their inclusion in international networks, their interest motivation in relation to European union). Most of all, we are interested how "European" are they themselves (it is a question of characteristics like competence, pluralism, openness, flexibility) and how capable are they to implement their "europeaness" in the "local" environment. Namely, we presuppose that for a successful integration in European system a proper combination of cosmopolitan (European) values and loyalty to national community is needed.
Our research is created in comparative way, what means that includes comparison of Slovenian elites to other transition elites (especially those with longer tradition of "eliteness"). In this way, it would contribute the expanded understanding in the nature of elites in its influence on their social function in a relevant historical context.
