Open AccessDo intellectuals matter?: Proposal for a study of influence
Author(s) -
Gazela Pudar Draško
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
filozofija i društvo
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.116
H-Index - 1
eISSN - 2334-8577
pISSN - 0353-5738
DOI - 10.2298/fid1602343p
Subject(s) - elite , operationalization , creativity , field (mathematics) , sociology , empirical research , power (physics) , epistemology , social science , political science , law , politics , philosophy , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , pure mathematics
The paper strives to explore the (non)existence of influence of intellectuals in society. Intellectuals are seen as a loose elite network of specific social actors who possess advance knowledge or creativity recognized in the cultural field of academia and/or art, hold a certain authority or power to be heard in the public, and who are publicly engaged. The aim of the paper is to fill the gap in the sociology of intellectuals and offer a possible framework for empirical research of intellectuals’ influence. This framework is operationalized using three levels: self-evaluation of their own influence, estimation of their social status and intellectual authority over (primarily) elites, and finally external “objectified” measures. The author hereby calls on the testing of the proposed model and any proposals for its improvement