The privilege of virtue and the need for reward: An examination of patronage, elites and power relations within civil society

This article considers the ideological discourses underpinning voluntary action of elites within civil society organisations. Drawing together literatures on elite reproduction, organisational recruitment and volunteer motivations we consider how patterns of patronage play out in Welsh urban and rural localities, and the interrelationships between cultural, social, political and economic capitals. Findings reveal senior volunteer recruitment to meet resource needs variously referring to meritocratic processes, achieving representation or garnering status, and new insights on rewards as an elite formation mechanism. The study identifies an inverse relationship between privilege and benefits, whereby the most privileged are attributed a stronger moral authority. This masks underlying social and political gains. Our findings have conceptual and practical implications: The research highlights complexity in elite reproduction and the importance of recognising the dual directional advances in symbolic capital. It also draws attention to established organisational cultures and the challenges associated with securing greater equality in practice.