Elitization: Mainsprings of Elite Social Control of Local Politics in Cameroon

Abstract: In Cameroon, development priorities and the need to ensure social peace have led to the emergence of elites as social relays for community grievances within the state apparatus. The legitimacy of their role entails the conversion of political and administrative positions into resources. Based on data collected from a field survey, this article shows how those who gain access to the status of state nobility build their legitimacy. It postulates that political-administrative promotion is not enough to transform an individual into an elite: he must build his elitism. That is why I put forward the hypothesis of elitization, understood as a process of conjunctural legitimization of elite status.