Society
Michael Hartmann
Unfolding the Myth of the Elite
The world authority on elite studies with over 30 years of research
Lesson Plan
- Lesson Length : 16 Lessons ㆍ 2 hours 12 miutes
- Language : 한국어, English
Revealing the Truth of the Elite
When we think of Lionel Messi, the Argentine soccer hero and the player with the most wins in soccer history, we say he is a soccer elite. But according to Michael Hartmann, a world authority on elite studies, Messi is not a member of the elite. Why?
Elites are a small group of people who are recognized for their exceptional abilities in society and participate in policy-making or lead organizations. While Messi certainly qualifies as an elite in terms of ability and achievements, one of the most important elements of being an elite is power. Someone who has the power to change the system of the soccer industry, like the president of FIFA, is a soccer elite. Then, how do elites gain power?
Michael Hartmann conducted an extensive study of 1,000 German legal, journalistic, business, and political elites and 6,500 elites from around the world. He analyzed their backgrounds, where they were born, what schools they attended, and how they rose through the ranks of society. He also examined their views on wealth redistribution and inequality, and how they protect their elite status.
Through these large-scale studies, Hartmann sheds light on the role elites play in our society: do the so-called privileged elite, who monopolize wealth and power in their respective fields, really understand the life of the general public? Is this structure, in which a small number of elites dominate the societies in which the public lives, right? Can they solve the growing problems of polarization and inequality? And will elite empires last forever? Michael Hartmann goes a step further and goes after the elusive group called the “global elite.” He explores the real meaning behind the term, which refers to people who work across borders to serve the common good. Discover the truth of elites in this lecture series by Michael Hartmann.
Full Bio
Michael Hartmann
- Doctor habil. of Sociology, Osnabrück University, Germany
- Doctor of Sociology, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
- Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
- Fritz Thyssen Foundation Award (2002, 2010)
- German Sociological Association Prize (2008)
- The Sociology of Elites (2007)
- The Global Economic Elite (2016)
- The Aloof - How the Elites endanger Democracy (2018)
Michael Hartmann is a sociologist who has been studying elites since the late 1980s, publishing hundreds of academic works and delivering various lectures on the subject for over 30 years. He is widely recognized as a world authority on the subject of elites. His seminal work, <The Aloof - How the Elites endanger Democracy> (Korean Edition: The Fall of the Elite Empire), was the #1 book in politics and sociology section on Amazon Germany and has been translated into Korean in 2019. Michael Hartmann has published books, articles and interviews in twelve languages.
His interest in elite studies began, ironically, with his own family. Michael Hartmann's maternal grandfather was the head of a prominent German publishing house until the Nazi regime took over. This family background gave him an intimate knowledge of the world of elites, and he set out to study who they are and how they influence democracy. His research is known for its extensive scale: he researched the family background, education, and occupation of 6,500 elites from around the world, and conducted in-depth interviews with 1,000 members of Germany's powerful elite. He is currently an emeritus professor of sociology at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany, where he continues to write and give TV interviews and lectures.
Other Series in
Society
Service Change Notice
As of April 3, 2024, GREAT MINDS is now operated by Ubion CO LTD.
As a result, there is a change in membership, so We’re informing you.
Discontinuation of Membership Subscription Auto-Renewal
Memberships subscribed before April 3rd will not automatically renew and will expire. Therefore, if you wish to continue using the membership, please proceed with the subscription after the expiration of the subscription.Increase in Membership Subscription Prices
The prices of membership subscriptions have been increased due to rising labor and material costs. We sincerely appreciate your understanding regarding this price adjustment.| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Membership | $ 4.99 | $ 9.99 |
| Annually Membership | $ 49.99 | $ 99.99 |
* The won price of the monthly/annual membership for Koreans has risen to 12,000 won and 120,000 won, respectively.
Thank you for your understanding
If you have any further inquiries, Contact Us
Service Update
Global lecture, G is becoming Grecture.
Expanded AI feature are powering the next evolution of the service.
Effective January 2, 2026
Domain: https://www.grecture.com
Automatic redirection will be provided.
Subscription:
Price changes from $9.99 to $15.
Auto-renewal will end. Please resubscribe to continue.
Thank you for being with us.