Business Elite Moralities and Moral Boundaries
Dr. Suraj Beri (PhD in Sociology from Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University) is Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology, Nagaland University.
Location : 5A-AB2
Abstract:
This talk examines the moral boundary work and cultural narrative used by wealthy business elites in Rajasthan town. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, this work shows how these members of the elite construct moral boundaries to legitimise their positions, their distance maintenance from other elites and middle classes in the context of Rajasthan. These elites construct self-identities based on community identity, hard work, self-made image, and workaholic and lazy binaries, performers, and failures. At the same time, a section of elites also challenge the old established elites via the argument of democratisation of power. This paper, thus posits that moral boundary work and cultural narrative is essential component in elite studies to examine the discourses that legitimise hegemony, legitimisation of unequal relations of political and economic power.
This talk examines the moral boundary work and cultural narrative used by wealthy business elites in Rajasthan town. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, this work shows how these members of the elite construct moral boundaries to legitimise their positions, their distance maintenance from other elites and middle classes in the context of Rajasthan. These elites construct self-identities based on community identity, hard work, self-made image, and workaholic and lazy binaries, performers, and failures. At the same time, a section of elites also challenge the old established elites via the argument of democratisation of power. This paper, thus posits that moral boundary work and cultural narrative is essential component in elite studies to examine the discourses that legitimise hegemony, legitimisation of unequal relations of political and economic power.