"Vitai Lampada": Preserving the Elite

The element of traditionalism in British culture has for a century and a half received strong support from the "public school" system. A study of British army officer cadets shows that, despite public statements to the contrary, the proportion of cadets with a public school background has...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Armed forces and society 1988-01, Vol.14 (2), p.233-245
Main Author: MACDONALD, KEITH M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Elite
England
Great Britain
Military
Military Service
Private Schools
Public Schools
Recruitment
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The element of traditionalism in British culture has for a century and a half received strong support from the "public school" system. A study of British army officer cadets shows that, despite public statements to the contrary, the proportion of cadets with a public school background has not changed substantially over the past 20 years. Indeed, the association between elite schools and elite regiments has become more pronounced. While the British army recruits a larger proportion of technically able cadets, the elite has protected its traditional preserves and thereby the route to senior command.
ISSN:0095-327X
1556-0848
DOI:10.1177/0095327X8801400204