Elite status and social change: using field analysis to explain policy formation and implementation

Integrating an analysis of fields into studies of social change provides a better understanding of the outcomes achieved by challengers. We demonstrate the value of field analysis through a case study of a social change effort regarding urban land use. An organization led by wealthy and well-connect...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social problems (Berkeley, Calif.) Calif.), 2010-02, Vol.57 (1), p.49-73
Main Authors: Duffy, Meghan M, Binder, Amy J, Skrentny, John D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Elites
Land use
Organizational effectiveness
Policy implementation
Policy making
Political influences
Social change
Urban development
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Integrating an analysis of fields into studies of social change provides a better understanding of the outcomes achieved by challengers. We demonstrate the value of field analysis through a case study of a social change effort regarding urban land use. An organization led by wealthy and well-connected individuals pressed city government and a powerful for-profit developer to incorporate progressive social goals into a new urban development project. We show how the organization was able to achieve success in the policy formation field but faced significantly more obstacles when trying to enter another field (policy implementation), despite its elite status. Thus, using fields to study the case can bolster scholars' understanding of elite power and status, as well as help explain outcomes. The advantages enjoyed by elites can be field specific rather than universal, and so do not translate automatically into successful challenge results.
ISSN:0037-7791
DOI:10.1525/sp.2010.57.1.49.