Prof Michael Savage STC S210

This course is available on the BSc in Language, Culture and Society and BSc in Sociology. This course is not available as an outside option. This course is available with permission to General Course students.

This course is not available as a first year option.

This course has a limited number of places (it is capped). Places are allocated on a first come first served basis.

In the early 21st century, there is a new fascination with the super-rich, the 1%, the 'elites'. This course therefore aims to expose students to the challenges and excitements of studying this small but very significant social class, using cutting edge research on recent trends as well as important older studies.

This course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and online materials totalling a minimum of 20 hours in the WT.

Reading Weeks: Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6, in line with departmental policy.

Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the WT.

Formative assessment will be through a 2000 word essay to be handed in on the Monday of Week 7, directly after Reading Week. Students will also be asked to give presentations in seminars, and informal feedback will be given on these.

• Piketty, T., (2014), Capital in the 21st Century, Boston, Harvard UP.
• Khan, S., (2010), Privilege, Princeton, Princeton UP.
• Korsnes, O., Heilbron, J., Hjellbrekke, J., Bühlmann, F. and Savage, M. eds., 2018. New directions in elite studies. Londres: Routledge.
• Savage, M., and Williams, K., (eds) (2008), Remembering Elites, Oxford, Blackwells.
• Mears, A., 2020. Very important people: Status and beauty in the global party circuit. Princeton University Press.

Essay (100%, 3000 words) in the ST.

An electronic copy of the assessed essay, to be uploaded to Moodle, no later than 4.00pm on the first Wednesday of Spring Term.

Attendance at all classes and submission of all set coursework is required.