Do intellectuals matter?: Proposal for a study of influence

Abstract

The paper strives to explore the (non)existence of influence of intellectuals in society. Intellectuals are seen as a loose elite network of specific social actors who possess advance knowledge or creativity recognized in the cultural field of academia and/or art, hold a certain authority or power to be heard in the public, and who are publicly engaged. The aim of the paper is to fill the gap in the sociology of intellectuals and offer a possible framework for empirical research of intellectuals’ influence. This framework is operationalized using three levels: self-evaluation of their own influence, estimation of their social status and intellectual authority over (primarily) elites, and finally external “objectified” measures. The author hereby calls on the testing of the proposed model and any proposals for its improvement