Identifying and Studying the Social Positions and Normative Position-takings of Moral Elites in Europe: A Methodological Approach

This paper presents the methodological approach adopted by the ERC-funded project Moral Elites: The Historical Positioning of Civil Society Leaders in National Moral Economies, which investigates the role of moral elites in shaping welfare state development in four European countries (Italy, Poland, the UK, and Denmark) from the late 19th century to today. The project is currently developing a database containing biographical and position-taking data for approximately 1,600 individuals across four country contexts. The first methodological step involves the selection of policy events and issues across countries and periods. The second step involves empirical mapping of the moral elites, defined as a heterogeneous group of individuals with disproportionate resources and influence in shaping transformative welfare events. The third step focuses on the data collection strategy for biographical and career data as well as data on normative beliefs and policy positions of the moral elites. Our methodological approach contributes to conceptual and methodological debates in comparative historical studies of elites across social science disciplines.