ABSTRACT
Introduction:
The term “elite” has consistently featured in scholarly literature, spanning from earlier works to the most recent research examining the interplay between the world of business and various facets of Brazilian politics. This article provides a critical review of this body of literature, with the intention of assessing the implications of the usage of this term in shaping a novel research agenda.
Materials and methods:
We analyzed a total of 80 publications, comprising books and articles, spanning the period from the mid-1960s to the close of the 2010s about Brazil and other Latin American countries. These works were selected for their significant contributions to the study of businesspeople as an elite group.
Findings:
We observed that a substantial portion of this literature employs the term “elite” with varying degrees of rigor, while another segment integrates references to concepts and methodologies characteristic of elite studies. This points to the existence of a multifaceted and enduring, albeit somewhat scattered, research agenda. A similar pattern emerges when we examine studies focused on other Latin American nations.
Discussion:
Despite the scattered nature of this research agenda, the examined works indicated that it is possible to find significant contributions to delineate the present state of research in this field. Our comprehensive literature review allowed for a systematization of theoretical inquiries, research questions, and methodological approaches that enrich the analysis of businesspeople as an elite and their intricate relationship with politics.
Keywords
businesspeople; political elites; economic elite; business elite; literature review