WASP elite
E678848
The WASP elite refers to the historically dominant social class of wealthy, well-educated White Anglo-Saxon Protestants in the United States, long associated with political power, cultural influence, and establishment institutions.
Statements (85)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
American upper class
ⓘ
social class ⓘ sociological concept ⓘ |
| associatedConcept |
American establishment
ⓘ
Protestant work ethic NERFINISHED ⓘ Yankee elite NERFINISHED ⓘ cultural hegemony ⓘ elite networks ⓘ old money ⓘ social capital ⓘ social exclusivity ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
American establishment
ⓘ
Congregationalist churches ⓘ Democratic Party leadership (20th century) NERFINISHED ⓘ East Coast establishment ⓘ Episcopal Church in the United States NERFINISHED ⓘ Harvard University NERFINISHED ⓘ Ivy League universities NERFINISHED ⓘ Presbyterian Church in the United States NERFINISHED ⓘ Princeton University NERFINISHED ⓘ Republican Party (historically) NERFINISHED ⓘ Wall Street NERFINISHED ⓘ Yale University NERFINISHED ⓘ boarding schools ⓘ corporate boardrooms ⓘ country clubs ⓘ cultural influence in the United States ⓘ economic power in the United States ⓘ elite preparatory schools ⓘ exclusive social clubs ⓘ mainline Protestant churches ⓘ political power in the United States ⓘ |
| country |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| criticizedFor |
class privilege
ⓘ
discrimination against Catholics ⓘ discrimination against Jews ⓘ discrimination against racial minorities ⓘ ethnic exclusivity ⓘ maintaining structural inequality ⓘ religious exclusivity ⓘ social exclusion ⓘ |
| declineInInfluence | late 20th century ⓘ |
| educationLevel | well-educated ⓘ |
| ethnicBackground |
Anglo-Saxon
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
White ⓘ |
| historicalRole |
dominant ruling class in the United States
ⓘ
provider of many Supreme Court justices ⓘ provider of many U.S. presidents ⓘ provider of many cabinet members ⓘ provider of many corporate executives ⓘ provider of many diplomats ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| peakInfluence |
first half of the 20th century
ⓘ
late 19th century ⓘ |
| perceivedCharacteristics |
WASP identity
ⓘ
cultural conservatism ⓘ sense of duty and public service ⓘ social conservatism ⓘ |
| perceivedCharacteristics | reserve and understatement ⓘ |
| region |
Mid-Atlantic states
ⓘ
surface form:
Mid-Atlantic United States
New England NERFINISHED ⓘ Northeastern United States ⓘ |
| relatedTerm |
Anglo-American establishment
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Brahmin caste of New England NERFINISHED ⓘ Protestant establishment ⓘ WASP NERFINISHED ⓘ old elite ⓘ |
| religion |
Protestant Christianity
ⓘ
surface form:
Protestantism
|
| socialReproductionMechanism |
elite education
ⓘ
exclusive clubs and associations ⓘ family networks ⓘ inheritance ⓘ |
| socialStatus |
elite
ⓘ
upper class ⓘ |
| termUsedBy |
cultural critics
ⓘ
historians ⓘ political scientists ⓘ sociologists ⓘ |
| timePeriod |
19th century
ⓘ
20th century ⓘ |
| typicalAncestry |
British
ⓘ
English ⓘ Scots-Irish NERFINISHED ⓘ Scottish ⓘ |
| typicalWealthLevel | wealthy ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.