Títol.- The alleged break-up and the contemporary make-up of family capitalism.

Abstract: Concentrated economic power among global and national elites has become an increasing cause for concern. Recent research in this field has shed light on the pivotal role of inheritance (patrimony) in amassing substantial wealth and, consequently, the influence of families in shaping economic power within contemporary societies. Notably, in Scandinavian countries, scholars are suggesting dynastic tendencies and multigenerational persistence of high-end wealth. Curiously, both notions of capitalists and family capitalists, in particular, are largely absent from recent academic debates on this subject. After all, such concepts have long vanished from sight as tools for sociological inquiry. “Capital” is allegedly “back”, but capitalists are nowhere to be found. Leveraging comprehensive population-wide register data on shareholding, occupation, wealth, and board membership, I examine the kinship ties of Norwegian capitalists from 1970 to 2021. This 50-year period encompasses capitalists born more than a century apart, from 1892 to 2012, constituting an average of less than 0.5% of each birth cohort. By consolidating kin linkages through births and marriages, I identify an average of 20 kin connections per elite member, including up to five generational linkages. Contrary to the alleged irrelevance of kinship connections in advanced societies, my preliminary findings suggest the enduring significance of family ties in shaping and maintaining economic power today.

Presencial: Sala Àngels Torrents, CED

Virtual: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7905645674
Codi: 1984