Elite Overproduction
An Elite Overproduction is a societal condition where an excessive number of individuals with elite education and qualifications compete for a limited number of high-status positions, potentially leading to social tension and instability.
- Example(s):
- Graduates from prestigious universities vying for a handful of top-tier corporate positions;
- Numerous highly skilled professionals contending for a small number of academic tenure-track positions;
- …
- Counter-Example(s):
- See: Trade-Off, Power Structure, Socioeconomic Status.
References
2023
- (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_overproduction Retrieved:2023-8-6.
- Elite overproduction is a concept developed by Peter Turchin, which describes the condition of a society which is producing too many potential elite members relative to its ability to absorb them into the power structure.[1] [2] [3] This, he hypothesizes, is a cause for social instability, as those left out of power feel aggrieved by their relatively low socioeconomic status.[1][2][3]
However, Turchin's model cannot foretell precisely how a crisis will unfold; it can only yield probabilities. Turchin likened this to the accumulation of deadwood in a forest over many years, paving the way for a cataclysmic forest fire later on. It is possible to predict a massive conflagration, Turchin argues, but not what causes it.[4] Nor does it offer definitive solutions, though it can clarify the trade-offs of various options.[5] For Turchin, history suggests that non-violent reversal of elite overproduction is possible, citing the two decades after World War II in the United States, a time of high taxes on the wealthy and strong labor unions.[6]
- Elite overproduction is a concept developed by Peter Turchin, which describes the condition of a society which is producing too many potential elite members relative to its ability to absorb them into the power structure.[1] [2] [3] This, he hypothesizes, is a cause for social instability, as those left out of power feel aggrieved by their relatively low socioeconomic status.[1][2][3]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Too many Americans who perceive themselves to be elites are chasing too few positions". National Review. 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Turchin, Peter. "Blame Rich, Overeducated Elites as Society Frays". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Turchin, Peter (2013). "Modeling Social Pressures Toward Political Instability". Cliodynamics. 4 (2). doi:10.21237/C7clio4221333.
- ↑ Turchin, Peter (August 16, 2012). "Cliodynamics: can science decode the laws of history?". The Conversation. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
- ↑ Rosenberg, Paul (October 1, 2016). "Breaking point: America approaching a period of disintegration, argues anthropologist Peter Turchin". Salon. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ↑ Turchin, Peter (June 2, 2023). "America Is Headed Toward Collapse". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
2023
- (Turchin, 2023) ⇒ Peter Turchin. (2023). “End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites and the Path of Political Disintegration.”