BOARD MEMBERSHIP OF TRADITIONAL MALE FRATERNITIES AND ACCESS TO DUTCHELITES - A DISAPPEARING AVENUE TO ELITE POSITIONS

This article examines to which extent members of boards of traditional male fraternities have greater access to Dutch elites. The study cove rs different types of elite position during the period 1960 to 1980 an d looks at all 1660 members of boards of the most traditional male fra ternities between 1920 and 1960. The aim of this article is to establi sh whether the trends in mobility found for the general populations of European societies in the twentieth century can also be found for the opportunities of these board members of traditional male fraternities to enter elite positions. The results indicate that the importance of board membership of traditional male fraternities did not diminish du ring the period studied, not did the importance of other ascribed char acteristics, like being a member of the nobility or high bourgeoisie. The article discusses two possible explanations for this lack of chang e: a methodological explanation which states that the cause should be sought in the period studied; and a substantial explanation which fall s back on the distinction between structural and circulation mobility.