Elite practices of distinction, justification and reproduction: evidence from financial and tax fields in Chile

This article aims at understanding the issue of elite construction and persistence, focusing on processes of distinction, justification and reproduction, adopting a social practices' perspective. Based on 53 in-depth interviews with members of the economic elite in Santiago de Chile, this paper describes and analyzes relational and institutional practices displayed by members of the elite, which allow them to preserve their positions, privilege, and centrality, despite the deep and steady transformations that Chilean society and economy have experienced recently. In Chile, economic institutions and dynamics show the persistence of ascriptive logics rather than meritocratic ones at the time of distributing valuable resources and positions.