Every year, sociologists publish a summary of everything they know about certain hot research topics.

The summaries are published in "Annual Reviews", and are usually written by an expert in that field. Annual Reviews usually have a very high impact factor -- they're cited a lot.

A couple years ago, Annual Reviews published "Sociology of Elites", which summarized everything known to date about how the rich and powerful BECOME (and remain) rich and powerful:

https://shamuskhan.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/the-sociology-of-elites.pdf

(also available for purchase HERE: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-soc-071811-145542).

It's interesting. Some of it is macro-scale. Some of it is micro-scale.

So here's a summary. First part is a general overview. Second part is specific recommendations.

WARNING: Some of this stuff differs from RedPill's advice. Other bits of it are similar. You know the drill: Take what you think is useful, discard what isn't.

SUMMARY OF THE SUMMARY -- GENERAL OVERVIEW

(1) The richest and most powerful people in the developed world are much more likely to rely on earnings (wages, etc.) than personal capital. So fighting your way to a high earning job has become more important recently.

(2) They are also more likely to work in finance, and be more diverse racially AND geographically. So be ready to deal with people from lots of backgrounds. New York is no longer the center of the world.

(3) C. Wright Mills's breakdown of the American "power elite" still mostly applies. The major components are:

--> corporate, military, and federal executive leadership;

--> a middle stratum of labor, regional/local elites (state legislators / mayors / etc.), members of Congress, and organized groups like political special interests.

--> "the unorganized masses"

In general, the most powerful people in America are much more likely to be successful businessmen and corporate lawyers, rather than military and political types. This might change as the state becomes more regulated and nannyish, though.

(4) The upper class uses top universities mostly to "co-opt" the most talented people from outside their class. Top universities will give you a powerful social network and teach you how to interact with others of that class. You'll learn how to present yourself, how to speak, how to make others take you seriously. The upper classes have their own little rules and customs designed to exclude people who come from a different culture. (Note that I said "classes" -- rich and powerful groups often look and think differently in different parts of the country.)

If you want to understand how this cultural snobbery works, consider high school. Remember cliques with all their little inside jokes and fashions? Yeah. EXACTLY like that, but on a larger scale. These days, "omnivorous" tastes (being interested in a little of everything) is "in". For example, the upper classes no longer obsess over classical music. They might like classical, jazz, blues, hip hop, world music, some country, etc...and sneer at people who only like one or two of these things. Weird, but it still does its job of drawing boundaries.

THIS MIGHT CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, THOUGH. So don't go out and buy a diverse music library, because fashions change quickly -- just be aware that people draw these boundaries

The same is true at local levels, at least in the United States. Take a look at state legislatures, and you'll notice that they all went to the same state law schools. "Local elites" are not quite the same as "national elites", but they have their own little cliques that work in the same ways.

(This, by the way, explains why feminists want to push men out of the universities so much -- it isn't about stopping men from learning the mostly useless curriculum, but cutting off men's social networks).

(5) If you want power, you ultimately need to get involved politically. Upper classes that remain uninvolved don't keep their wealth, because other groups use the State to take that wealth away. You need to vote. You need to know how to get politicians to listen to you. You need to contribute to special interest groups that will protect people "like you" (whatever you consider yourself to be) from getting screwed. And that's especially true at the local / state level. Full stop.

(6) Power is "fungible". This means that you can transform some forms of power (like political importance) into other forms of power (like money). It's safer to diversify your power as if it's an investment, and focus on getting several DIFFERENT sources of power.

(7) As inequality has been increasing over the last 30 years, social classes have started to FREEZE IN PLACE. So you'd better claw your way up as quickly as possible. It'll only get harder as time goes on.

(8) On the bright side, (7) means that you won't have to keep clawing forever. If you really shoot to the top over the next couple decades, you'll be harder to kick off the perch if trends continue.

(9) Wealthy, powerful people get involved locally on boards -- charitable boards, corporate boards, etc. It's a networking tool AND a device for maintaining control.

(10) Networking is king. Social ties with other powerful people are the #1 resource for getting and maintaining power. Get contacts. Maintain contacts. Know people.

(On the above: I think anthropologists determined that you can keep track of a maximum of 150 people at one time. So that's the upper limit. Fill your slots carefully, but fill them.)

(11) Social groups work on two counterintuitive principles. On one hand, larger groups are more powerful in abstract. On the other hand, smaller groups can move faster and coordinate better against threats. That's how some industries' businessmen survive new regulation.

(12) On the networking point: shared interests are key for networking. Clubs, schools, etc. cultivate these.

(13) Knowledge is a major form of power these days. Expertise opens a lot of doors, and also allows you to navigate society better.

(14) Related to the above, more knowledge allows you to persuade people to your point of view. So be an expert if you can, and never stop acquiring knowledge that other people might find useful.

(15) This is especially true of IDEOLOGICAL knowledge. Bizarrely, this "knowledge" may not have any relationship with the real world, but can still be useful to persuade people. To give an analogy, picture trying to climb up the ranks of a UFO cult. You might think their beliefs are nuts, but you'll need to know about them in order to persuade the cultists to do what you want. Same with any other belief system. Or ethical system. (Why else would nonprofits hire so many people with gender studies degrees?)

(16) Pay attention to how administrative systems around you work. And technological systems, for that matter. Many people don't even try to understand these, and knowing how they work will make you a more valuable resource. Ask yourself which complicated systems people around you use and need. Master those systems.

(17) Credentials are part of "elite" membership, but not all credentials are equal. They're the entry card, even though the knowledge they represent is often worthless. (Again, why else would nonprofits hire so many people with gender studies degrees?)

(18) Another thing about the networking: Social clubs still exist for the upper classes. They're not always upfront about it, although some are, but they exist. And they help people with similar interests act collectively against outside threats. (Remember how I mentioned above that smaller groups have an advantage in moving quickly against enemies?)

(19) If you absolutely MUST marry, marry into a socially important family if possible. And send your kids to the schools/clubs that the other prominent people attend...within limits.

HOW IT HELPS YOU: APPLYING THE KNOWLEDGE

  • Go to a prestigious school and socialize a lot. It may be worthless academically, but it's important socially. Learn how people think, talk, etc. there. Obviously, only do this if you can afford it.

  • If you can't get into a prestigious school, try to get into one that is widely attended in your state/local polity. Socialize a lot. In America, state schools are actually a good choice, since they give lots of scholarships and will acquaint you with the people who will make up the "local" upper classes in your state.

  • Whichever college you go to, don't get a degree in underwater basket weaving. Choose a lucrative degree, period. (The jobs most likely to survive mechanization are here: http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf).

  • Continue socializing and networking with people throughout your life. You've got about 150 slots before your ability to keep track and massage those connections breaks down. Pick your contacts wisely, but fill those slots.

  • Learn as much as you can. Specifically, though, learn the convoluted, complicated stuff that people in your job/community/whatever NEED to navigate, but don't know how to. People will come to you for help. Look for knowledge that people around you need. Acquire that knowledge.

  • Get involved -- join local corporate and charitable boards once you become important enough. This is entirely defensible on selfish grounds, since it will often give you connections and influence.

  • Find out where and how the wealthier, politically connected people in your area socialize. Start figuring out how you're going to get into that network.

  • You don't need to live in NY or DC anymore to have power. In fact, you will probably encounter less competition elsewhere. The central hubs are less important than they once were.

  • Diversify your sources of power. Money, political capital, social influence, whatever. It's fungible -- to some extent, you can trade one for the other.

  • Best career choices / goals remain: Corporate, financial, military, and federal executive leadership; a middle stratum of labor, regional/local elites (state legislators / mayors / city council, etc.), members of Congress, and organized groups like political special interests.

  • Push as hard as you can to climb the ranks QUICKLY. The window of opportunity is closing as social classes throughout the developed world freeze into place. Don't get stuck at the bottom.

  • Learn as much marketable knowledge as you can in general. Build your resume as an expert in different things. (Look at the "jobs that will avoid computerization" list to see which things to become an expert in.)

  • Involve yourself politically. Vote. Join corporate and charitable boards. Network. Contribute to campaigns, especially local and state ones where a smaller donation will be relatively more important. Keep involved with special interest groups that protect your interests. That's the bottom line: Protect your interests.

The last point is the strongest takeaway. Surprising when I went through this just how often it kept popping up.

It's really remarkable how much of social influence, power, and wealth depends on political involvement.

AGAIN, THE LINK:

https://shamuskhan.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/the-sociology-of-elites.pdf

AND AGAIN, THE WARNING:

Some of this contradicts RedPill, especially if you read it the wrong way. Some doesn't. Take what you need, ignore what you don't.