Class-Specific Habitus and the Social Reproduction of the Business Elite in Germany and France

Abstract

Based on two empirical studies of senior executives, this article examines key aspects of Bourdieu's theory of the reproduction of social class structures. In the European business elite, to what extent can one find empirical evidence for the central significance accorded to class specific habitus and exclusive educational institutions in this process? To this end, the article presents comprehensive information about the social origin and educational trajectories of the chairpersons of the 100 largest German and French enterprises from 1995, compared to corresponding statistics from the years 1970 to 1972. An analysis of this information shows that in both countries, almost 80% of senior executives are recruited from the social elite: the gehobenes Bürgertum or the classe dominant. In France, the main source for this elite recruiting is located in educational system, with sharp selection mechanisms involved in the granting of exclusive degrees. In contrast, these play only a subordinate role in Germany. The primary criteria here are the personality traits deemed desirable for certain positions. These strongly favour offspring of the gehobenes Burgertum. In the end, class-specific habitus turns out to be decisive in a direct sense (Germany) or indirectly (France) for the reproduction of social relations. Bourdieu's analysis is thus confirmed in its main points.