Power, Distinction, Display: Excavating Elites

An Elite in Transition in 1900

If religious and political fervor flowed through the social structure of the 1860s, by 1900 a decidedly more secular, sports-oriented, and leisure and hobby oriented dimension structured the formation of elite social capital.

Take for example, Mrs. George M. Pullman, wife of the railroad car manufucturer, who was part of the "Club and Sports Socialites" social neighborhood, part of a constellation of sociability in the upper-left region of the social space in which women's social ties, sports, dinners, balls, and clubs played a leading role. In this upper-left region of the graph in addition to the "Club and Sports Socialites," we also see the "Presbyterian and Women's Clubs," the "Arche Club Socialites," and the "Women's Clubs" social neighborhoods. 

Perhaps the most striking change is the growth of institutions associated with schools and universities. Traditional bourgeois sites for the gentemanly isplay of cultural capital remained present, but formal education was a growing presence as well, indicating the shift towards a world of professionals and bureaucratic functionaries within Chicago's elite. For instance, "Methodists and Northwestern Uni" social nieghborhood shows how rising educational institutions and religious commitments combined. Evangelical reform while still present, sat alongside more secular forms of improvement such as the feminists in grouped in the "Education, Equality, and University" social neighborhood.  

Questions to explore in the 1900 Network:  

• What social neighborhoods did Margaret Haley (leader of the Chicago Teachers Union) and Jane Addams (Hull House founder) occupy within the network? What kinds of organizations were these women connected to? 
• What modularity class was Edwin M. Aschraft, as a prominent lawyer and political leaders, and which organizations was he connected to? 
• Where do organizations connected to organized labor appear in the social space? 
• Other interesting individuals: TBD
• Other interesting organizations: TBD

Other Ways to Explore the Network: 

Click here to learn more about how to explore the social neighborhoods of 1900 in 3D. 

On a desktop: Use your mouse to explore the network in three dimensions. Double-click to zoom in; right-click to pan; left-click to rotate. To zoom back out again, drag your finger downward on a trackpad. 

Please be patient; this visualization takes a while to load and also takes time to redraw between clicks or mouse moves! Also, while the 3D visualization works on mobile devices, it may be easier to explore the network on a desktop platform. 

Click here to learn more about how to explore the social neighborhoods of 1900 in VR.