The Politics of Elite Culture: Explorations in the Dramaturgy of Power in a Modern African Society

The article explores the development of cultural mystique in elite organizations, focusing on Sierra Leone as a case study. It analyzes culture in terms of symbolic forms, functions, and dramaturgical techniques, exploring how it operates in chains of dramatic performances on different levels of social organization. The author argues that culture serves to reconcile contradictions between universalistic functions and particularistic interests, and to promote sectional power.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

The development of cultural mystique in the articulation of elite organizations is a complex and intriguing process that involves a range of symbolic beliefs and practices. These elements serve to reconcile, camouflage, or mystify a fundamental contradiction that exists within elite groups. This contradiction revolves around their universalistic functions and particularistic interests, as well as their duties to serve wider publics and their simultaneous pursuit of sectional power.

To explore this phenomenon in depth, Cohen conducts a detailed, experimental study of one power elite within a modern small-scale nation-state, Sierra Leone. However, his findings are not limited to this specific context; rather, they are systematically worked out within a broader, cross-cultural comparative perspective. This allows him to further develop his earlier formulations about the instrumental functions of culture in political organization.

Culture is analyzed in terms of symbolic forms, symbolic functions, and dramaturgical techniques. Cohen examines how culture operates as a catalyst for political change, shaping the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and groups. He also explores the ways in which culture can be used to justify and perpetuate power inequalities, as well as the mechanisms through which it can be resisted and transformed.

One of the key insights of Cohen's work is that familiar, everyday symbolic events are often taken out of their ordinary ideological sequences and thrown into crisis by showing their involvement in major power struggles. For example, he argues that cultural symbols and practices can be used to legitimate political authority, but they can also be subverted and challenged by marginalized groups. This dynamic creates a complex web of power relations that is constantly evolving and adapting to changing circumstances.

Cohen's approach to the study of culture is interdisciplinary, drawing on insights from a range of fields such as sociology, political science, anthropology, and cultural studies. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of culture in shaping political outcomes, as well as the ways in which culture can be used to promote social justice and equality.

Overall, Cohen's work provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex dynamics of cultural mystique and its role in the articulation of elite organizations. By exploring the intersection of culture, power, and politics, he offers a fresh perspective on the ways in which societies are shaped and transformed.

Weight: 499g
Dimension: 216 x 140 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520358591