The Bases of Elite Social Behaviour: Patterns of Club Affiliation among Members of the House of Lords

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between club affiliations by members of the House of Lords and their political and social backgrounds. The odds of being a club member and the networks of association created by clubs are positively associated with ascriptive, educational, occupational and political variables. The communities created by clubs augment inequalities in Lords’ representativeness. The evidence is incompatible with arguments that the British political elite is unified or that clubs integrate functionally differentiated groupings. The evidence is consistent, however, with clubs offering social unity to elites with vested interests in traditional status structures. A British establishment is still evident in the club community.