Honor, Loyalty, and Merit

The Spanish nobility continues to be influential in the early 21st century in politics, academia, and the economy. The polarized socio-cultural environment in Spain in the early decades of the millennium is paralleled by an increasingly divisive political discourse and deadlock in terms of governance. Understanding the subcultures of the most influential socio-political groups is important to be able to interpret the political developments. A vast array of studies have been conducted about the rise of the extreme left but there is a dearth of studies dealing with the impact of the traditional nobility in contemporary Spain. The present study presents an emic model of elite culture through the application of a grounded theory approach to texts released by five of the main noble associations in Spain during the last ten years. An inductive approach focuses on the identification of important themes and concepts as expressed and understood by the participants. Traditional noble associations are the focus of the study, in particular, the associations under Royal patronage. The resulting emic model aims to map the mores, norms, and values of a highly visible social group about which there are very few sociological and anthropological studies.



Otto Federico von Feigenblatt, EdD, PhD, is an academician of honor of the Royal Academy of Doctors of Spain, a corresponding academician of the Royal Academy of Economics and Financial Sciences of Spain, and of the Royal Spanish Academy of the Sea, and a numbered academician of the National Academy of History and Geography of Mexico. He was knighted by King Phillip VI of Spain with the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic for his contributions to the social sciences. Ambassador von Feigenblatt received the title of "Honorary Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo" from the President of Kosovo for his contributions to the fields of development studies and peace studies.



He holds a BSS in Asia Pacific Studies from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Beppu, Japan), an MA in International Development Studies from Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand), a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and an EdD in Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University (Florida, USA), Graduate Certificates in Social Justice and in International Relations in addition to a ALM in Anthropology and Archeology from Harvard University (Boston, USA). His research is interdisciplinary and he has received multiple honorary doctorates for his research and service. He is currently serving as Professor and Chair of the Graduate Education Department, Latin Division, Keiser University (Florida, USA) and he also serves as the Honorary Consul and Head of Post of the Republic of Namibia for the State of Georgia, USA.