CHANGES IN THE SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT TO POLITICAL AND BUSINESS ELITES OF JAPAN.

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to explore changes in social and educational characteristics of the political- and business elites in pre-World War IT and post-World War II Japan. The study focused on the two major elite groups, cabinet ministers and Zaibatsu leaders. The major objectives of the analysis werer.1. To determine the extent to which sources of elite recruitment changed: (a) whether the social origins of cabinet ministers and Zaibatsu leaders differed in the pre-World War II and post-World War II periods (b) whether the educational backgrounds of cabinet ministers and Zaibatsu leaders differed in the pre-World War II and post-World War II periods 2. To compare changes in the composition of the two elite groups: cabinet ministers with Zaibatsu leaders.3 To assess whether the uncovered changes support Parsons' theories of social structure and Keller's theory of functional elites. basic assumption was that social structure determines the formation and recruitment of elites. Thus, as social structure changes, there is an accompanying change in the characteristics, of elites. Social structure was characterized, according to Parsons' (1951) pattern variables. On the basis of Tore's (1967) study of Japanese society, pre-world War II Japan, as opposed to post-World War II Japan, was described as more particularistic-ascription oriented.