Social Identity Background of Elite Groups

Abstract

The core of this writing is to clarify the notion of spatial identity as category of social iden- tity in the case of elite groups in terms of their relations to localities and settlements. Spatial identity itself is broken up theoretically into specific categories, which help to analyse the background from empirical points of view. Global and national social processes form the hasis of the material, just as the behaviour of the elite, mainly that of the local elite groups, who have a main say in dominant representations. Social-psychological characteris- tics, like cooperation, trust and social capital are referred to as basic issues in Hungarian society. The essay states that elite positions and relative elite categories have a strong influence on the condition of spatial identity.