Acts of Altruism in Elite Schools: A Global Class Performance?

• In Event: Intersections of National and Transnational Class Formations, Postcoloniality, and Globalization in Elite Schools: Project Updates

Abstract

1. Objectives or purposes
The purpose of this paper is to identify the various forms of privileged benefaction and social engagement that elite schools in different countries are currently involved in, to show how these are justified by the schools, to identify their links to globalization and to consider the moral dilemmas and class politics involved.
2. Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
Members of the current global elite have gained considerable media attention for their acts and style of benevolence. For instance, ‘Forbes’, a magazine about the businesses and finances of the rich, quite regularly runs stories about ‘the most generous’ corporations, companies, celebrities and philanthropists. These stories are related to the USA, where the magazine is published, to ‘the world’ (Kroll, 2011) and to various regions. In her recent article for the Economist on ‘The Rise of the New Global Elite’, Freeland, drawing from the book Philanthrocapitalism: how the rich can save the world (Bishop and Green, 2008) talks about the socially engaged super-wealthy and their support of worthy causes saying ‘in addition to its moral rewards, [philanthropy] can also serve as a pathway to social acceptance and even immortality’. But she also observes that this is not just about donating and endowing but about ‘using their wealth to test new ways to solve big problems’ and employing entrepreneurial business principles to do so. Elite schools around the world that are based on the British public school model have long encouraged their students to perform acts of benevolence. But are these altering in line with the shifting face of elite philanthropy and corporate social responsibility? And what class politics are involved?
3. Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry
This paper draws on a major multi sited global ethnographic study of eight elite schools in eight different countries. This particular paper draws from the fieldwork conducted in schools in England and in three former British colonies, South Africa, Singapore and Australia.
4. Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view.
Most schools still insist that their students perform acts of altruism. In addition there is a tendency to see such acts as having a ‘civilizing’ mission within the school in relation to privileged students’ relationships with subaltern populations beyond the school. While in some instances the schools are informed by notions of charity and corporate social responsibility only one school’s thinking bares any resemblance to the ‘philanthrocapitalism associated with the global elite (Bishop and Green, 2008). Whatever the case, the elite schools face many moral dilemmas associated with the class politics involved and, finally, the paper notes the extent to which and how these are recognized and addressed.
5. Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work
This is the first study to identify the different ways in which elite schools’ in different locations around the world concern themselves with the so-called duties of wealth and privilege. It is also the first to show how elite schools deal with moral quandaries of the class politics involved.

Author

• Jane Edith Kenway, Monash University