Writing Class In and Out: Constructions of Class in Elite Businesswomen’s Autobiographies

Abstract

This article explores how meanings of class are constructed in elite businesswomen’s autobiographies. It extends existing sociological studies of elites in two ways. First, by theorising the cultural mechanisms that contribute to the reproduction of business elites, and second, by examining the hitherto under-researched gendered aspects of the reproduction of business elites, and the legitimisation of wealth. We show how these autobiographical texts acknowledge class yet render it irrelevant through discursive repertoires of ordinariness, a universal gender struggle and the unimportance of wealth. We argue that in doing so the genre of elite businesswomen autobiographies contributes to the cultural erasure of class, perpetuating messages that contribute to the creation of a cultural milieu in which class and wealth inequalities remain unquestioned. In an economic context where social disparities continue to grow, the article importantly furthers our understanding of the cultural means by which a plutocratic elite holds on to power.

Legitimate Wealth? How Wealthy Business Owners are Portrayed in the Press

“…Responding to rising economic inequalities, social scientists have recently renewed their focus on wealth elites overall (e.g. Korsnes et al, 2017;Savage & Williams, 2008) and business owners and corporate elites specifically (Adamson & Johansson, 2020;Mills, 2000;Moran, 2008). Nevertheless, wealthy business owners have attracted only limited attention from scholars-despite their leading position on Rich Lists (e.g.…”

“…Korom et al, 2017) and increasing presence in the media in recent years (Littler, 2007). Alongside businesspeople' rising public presence (Adamson & Johansson, 2020;Littler, 2007), since the 1990s economic inequality has taken on an increasing salience in the media. In turn, this has increased public concern about inequality (McCall, 2013), obliging business owners and other wealthy people to defend their vast fortunes (Friedman & Reeves, 2020;Moran, 2008).…”

“…In turn, this has increased public concern about inequality (McCall, 2013), obliging business owners and other wealthy people to defend their vast fortunes (Friedman & Reeves, 2020;Moran, 2008). The "cultural means" (Adamson & Johansson, 2020) through which wealth concentration in the hands of the few is publicly legitimized requires more scrutiny, particularly because citizens tend to underestimate income levels (McCall, 2013;Mijs, 2019) and wealth inequality (Norton & Ariely, 2011;Norton et al, 2014). Studying publicly available information about wealth inequality and concentration, as well as how the media portrays that subject, are essential to understanding why people underestimate levels of inequality.…”

“…On the other hand, they explore how middle-class and economically disadvantaged groups are involved in creating shared meaning-making structures that underlie and drive inequality (for example Mijs, 2019;Prasad et al, 2009;Sachweh, 2012). Elites often explain increasing inequality by pointing to meritocratic ideals of hard work and persistence (Kantola & Kuusela, 2019), even as the "ordinariness" of elite lifestyles makes them seem more normal and middle-class than their fortunes indicate (Adamson & Johansson, 2020;Friedman & Reeves, 2020;Jaworski & Thurlow, 2017;Kantola & Kuusela, 2019). Studying different groups of actors and how they make sense of inequality is therefore hugely important to understanding why high levels of inequality can persist.…”

Ideologías empresariales y postfeminismo: Un diálogo interdisciplinar

“…Esta lógica borra los condicionantes sociales, culturales, económicos, y de otra índole, que condicionan realmente el éxito y fracaso de los agentes en el mercado. Un ejemplo claro de este proceso de eliminación de todo aquello que sitúe y explique la posición social de las mujeres en los textos gerenciales, lo encontramos en el proceso de borrado de la cuestión de clase social en sus escritos, ya que las propias directivas de renombre que escriben estos textos no la consideran condicionante de su éxito personal (Adamson y Johansson 2021). De este modo, las autobiografías de empresarias de élite contribuyen al borrado cultural de la clase, perpetuando mensajes que contribuyen a la creación de un entorno cultural en el que las desigualdades de clase y riqueza siguen siendo incuestionables, pero sobre las que se pretende pasar como si no existiesen.…”