Globalisation of Institutions of Modernity: On Meritocracy

Abstract

The research subject is meritocracy, as one of the most significant (post)modern institutions of society in global coordinates. The research problem is expressed by questions about the characteristics of meritocracy: What is meritocracy? Why does it arise? How does meritocracy benefit us in modern society? The scientific goals are: a) description of the characteristics of meritocracy, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks; b) understanding the historical context of the emergence of meritocracy, i.e. its causes; c) generic scientific explanation of the causes of meritocracy; d) functionalist scientific explanation of the utility of meritocracy; f) scientific prediction of the importance of expanding the definition of meritocracy for a more precise and comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon and its implications in the future. The methods of descriptive and comparative analysis, deduction, synthesis, induction and desk research will be used, as well as case studies of the institution of meritocracy, along with the indispensable historical-comparative method, in order to reach qualitative data during 'research in the library' on bibliographic units from the abstracted sample. The results of the research relate to the answers to the initial research questions, as well as to the answers to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks of meritocracy. A significant research result is the discovery of the paradox of meritocracy: 1) that it conflicts with the basic postulates of capitalism (inherited property rights) and 2) that it tends to create a knowledge economy and society, which will increase stratification and the effect of inheritance, because better jobs will become available only to well-off families and their descendants. Meritocracy holds that a society that does not motivate and reward achievement cannot increase wealth and well-being, and thus becomes inefficient and dysfunctional. It is proposed to expand the definition of meritocracy by all considered effects (effect of luck, effect of environment and effect of acquired experience in the environment, i.e. in the social field): practice [(habitus x capital) + field] + experience gained in practice = meritocracy.