Abstract
Upper-class social clubs in European metropolises have mostly been described through isolated monographs. Instead, this chapter on Milan studies them relationally. Extending the Bourdieusian approach, we show that social (and some service) clubs in Italy’s economic capital city form a relatively coherent space of distinction. Differences between clubs include historical origins, social composition, organisational features and modalities for membership. But they also pertain to the particular criteria used by each institution to describe and legitimate its social capital—that is, the links connecting its members with each other—as well as to distinguish itself from its competitors. We argue that part of the efficiency of social capital stems from the symbolic categories deployed to endow it with meaning.
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Notes
- 1.
We would like to thank Marco Oberti, Anne Raulin, Tommaso Vitale, Diana Mauri, Silvana Mauri Ottieri, Rosellina Archinto, Lina Sotis, Enzo Mingione, Mathieu Richard, Bart Wissink, Sin Yee Koh and Ray Forrest for their support and advice in carrying out the research and writing for this chapter.
- 2.
Since the coming into force of the Constitution of the Italian Republic (on January 1st, 1948), nobility titles are no longer officially recognised by the State.
- 3.
In 2001–2002, Milan’s social clubs (especially the Unione and the Clubino) were officially against accepting professional politicians as members. This was because they considered that elected officials are inherently controversial figures, and because many clubmen from the aristocracy and the old bourgeoisie had very little sympathy for Milanese tycoon and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his associates. Nevertheless, several city officials were close to the clubs. For instance, in the Moratti family (whose men are at the Clubino), Milly Moratti was a left-wing city councillor from 2001 to 2011, while her (right-wing) sister-in-law Letizia Moratti was Mayor of Milan from 2006 to 2011.
- 4.
Out of 16 founding members, five were also members of the Unione and seven would join it later.
- 5.
At the Unione, in 2001, rates were 9 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively.
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Cousin, B., Chauvin, S. (2017). Old Money, Networks and Distinction: The Social and Service Clubs of Milan’s Upper Classes. In: Forrest, R., Koh, S., Wissink, B. (eds) Cities and the Super-Rich. The Contemporary City. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54834-4_8
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