ABSTRACT
Despite anthropologists’ call to “study up” (Nader 1972; Cohen 1981; Salverda 2015), the study of elite formations in Africa, particularly among minoritized groups in small towns, is not fully established; however, the elite continue to be the most influential people in society. Most minoritized and marginalized groups lack representation in positions of authority, making it difficult to influence policies that are geared toward their interests. Through the lens of the Maasai ethnic group, this chapter will examine elite formation trajectories and interrogate conventional social reproduction theories of elite status based on family wealth. This Maasai ethnography will also reveal how global resources contribute to contemporary elite formation, thus challenging conventional elite formation theories. This chapter will contribute to elite studies among marginalized and minoritized groups and elite studies in general.
