American Studies Institute (ASI) of Seoul National University is holding an international conference with renowned scholars for two days. We await the participation of all those who are interested. Schedule of the program is attached.

▶ Date: November 12^th ~ 13^th, 2009. (Thursday ~ Friday)
▶ Topic: Elites and Elitism in American Democracy
▶ Venue: Room #302 Shinyang Humanities Hall, Seoul National University

[Abstract]
As part of the long-term project “American Democracy: A Historical and Transnational Study” conducted by the American Studies Institute (ASI) of Seoul National University, this conference will explore various aspects of elites and elitism in the context of American democracy. Since the 1960s until recently elites have not received the scholarly attention that they deserve for one reason or another. For better or worse, however, elites have always played important roles in shaping American democracy, which in turn has contributed to changes in their composition. After the pivotal election year of 2008, the power structure of the U.S. is of special interest: political, economic, and cultural elites have begun to realign and restructure themselves in response to radical changes in the American political landscape and economy. The image of a cohesive power elite—a group of corporate, military, legal, and political leaders with common social backgrounds and political ideology, as envisioned by C.W. Mills—has only limited relevance today. The traditional elites are internally divided and have been challenged by a plurality of new elite groups—public interest, media, entertainment, religious, and others. We hope the conference will allow participants to explore the power structure of the U.S. and the interaction between American democracy and elitism from all perspectives and in all periods.

American Studies Institute of Seoul National University