Editing Old boy network

{{For|the television series|The Old Boy Network}}
{{short description|Private school alumni social connections}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=September 2011}}
{{Original research|date=December 2018}}
}}
An '''old boy network''' (also known as '''old boys' network''', '''old boys' club''') is an informal system in which wealthy men with similar social or educational backgrounds help each other in business or personal matters.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of Old Boy Network|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old+boy+network|access-date=2022-01-27|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}</ref> The term originally referred to social and business connections among [[Alumnus|former pupils]] of male-only [[elite]] schools, though the term is now also used to refer to any closed system of relationships that restrict opportunities to within the group.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Palmer|first=Caroline|date=2000-06-10|title=A job, old boy? The school ties that still bind|url=http://www.theguardian.com/money/2000/jun/11/workandcareers.madeleinebunting2|access-date=2022-01-27|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lalanne |first1=Marie |last2=Seabright |first2=Paul |date=2011-10-01 |title=The Old Boy Network: Gender Differences in the Impact of Social Networks on Remuneration in Top Executive Jobs |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228293635 |journal=IDEI Working Papers |publisher=Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI) |issue=689}}</ref> The term originated from much of the British upper-class having attended certain fee-charging [[Public school (United Kingdom)|public schools]] as boys, thus former pupils are "[[old boys]]". 

This can apply to the network between the graduates of a single school regardless of their gender.  It is also known as an ''old boys' society'' and is similar to an [[alumni association]]. It can also mean a network of social and business connections among the alumni of various prestigious schools. In popular language, ''old boy network'' or ''old boys' society'' has come to be used for the preservation of social elites in general; such connections within the [[Civil Service (United Kingdom)|British Civil Service]] formed a primary theme in the [[BBC]]'s satirical comedy series ''[[Yes Minister]]''. The phrase "It's not what you know, it's who you know" is associated with this tradition.

==Australia==
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In Australia, the term "Old Boy" is used to describe a male alumnus of some prestigious state and private schools. The term "Old Girl" is similarly used for a female alumna of such schools. Both "Old Girl" and "Old Boy" are sometimes used as a reference to someone's parents.

==Canada==
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The term is also used in Canada, where the alumni of such schools as [[St. Andrew's College (Ontario)|St. Andrew's College]], [[Trinity College School]], [[Crescent School (Toronto)|Crescent School]], [[St. George's School (Vancouver)|St George's School]], [[Vancouver College]], [[Stratford Hall (school)|Stratford Hall]], [[Bishop's College School]], [[Hillfield Strathallan College]], [[Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf]], [[Lower Canada College]], and [[Upper Canada College]] are known as Old Boys.  Other influential private schools with powerful alumni networks may have become co-ed, such as [[Appleby College]] or [[University of Toronto Schools]], but operate similarly in which large numbers of alumni all work for the same organization.

==Finland==
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In [[Finland]], the Finnish term '''hyvä veli -verkosto''' (literally ''dear brother network'') is used to refer to the alleged informal network of men in high places whose members use their influence to pervert or circumvent official decision-making processes to the members' mutual benefit. As such, the term is pejorative.

The term derives from the salutation "Hyvä veli!", or "Dear brother!", traditionally used to open a letter to a not quite intimate friend. The implication is that since the elites of all fields are drawn from a fairly small pool of people who are mostly more or less acquainted with each other, they can and often do manage public and private affairs amongst themselves, off the record, and outside public scrutiny as they like. As the word "brother" implies, the network is usually presumed to consist of males, and thus the term is also sometimes used to refer to the [[marginalization]] of women and their exclusion from high positions in both the public and private spheres. There is an equivalent term, ''hyvä sisko'' ("dear sister"), used about informal networks of women in high positions.

President [[Urho Kekkonen]] was notable for directly communicating with senior officials (past his [[Finnish Council of State|cabinet]]s) through letters, which famously began with the salutation "Hyvä veli". These have been published in three volumes.

==Hong Kong==
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The term can also refer to the networks that are set up in the more elite secondary schools, such as [[Diocesan Boys' School]], [[Queen's College, Hong Kong|Queen's College]], [[Ying Wa College]], [[La Salle College]] and [[St. Joseph's College, Hong Kong|Saint Joseph's College]].

==India==
[[File:Doon School Old Boys' Society.jpg|thumb|200px|Logo of [[The Doon School Old Boys' Society]]]]

[[The Doon School]] maintains its own old boys' society (The Doon School Old Boys' Society) for social connections and fundraising on behalf of the School.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.doonschool.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308085008/http://www.doonschool.com/info/ouroldboys.htm|url-status=dead|title=The Doon School|archive-date=8 March 2009|website=The Doon School}}</ref> Graduates of The Doon School are known as ''Doscos'', or simply, Old Boys.

Former students of the [[Welham Boys School]] refer to their society as the Welham Old Boys Society. Though the school was founded in 1937, the society was not founded until 1983. The group is intended to encourage Welham graduates to aid in the school's success through their union; they have established scholarships and [[Bursary|bursaries]] for deserving students. The Welham Old Boys Network has established definite membership criteria, as well as requiring a subscription fee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.welhamoldboys.com/society.asp |title=Welham Old Boys Society |publisher=Welhamoldboys.com |access-date=24 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812060935/http://www.welhamoldboys.com/society.asp |archive-date=12 August 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Former pupils of [[Bishop Cotton School (Shimla)|Bishop Cotton School]] are referred to as Old Cottonians. The Old Cottonians Association was started in 1910 when 17 Old Cottonians assembled in the Freemason's Hall in [[Shimla]]. The Old Cottonians Association is spread all over the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Old Cottonians Association|url=https://oldcottonians.org/|access-date=2021-04-20|website=Old Cottonians Association|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Anand|last=Bodh|date=February 27, 2012|title=On completing 101 years of their association, old boys of Bishop Cotton School (BCS) Shimla presented their alma mater Rs 1 crore. The cheque of Rs 1 crore was presented to Roy Christopher Robinson, Headmaster of the school. The Old Cottonians Association (OCA), the alumni committee of one of the oldest boarding schools in Asia, had organized annual lunch in Delhi to celebrate the completion of its 101st years.|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/on-completing-101-years-of-their-association-old-boys-of-bishop-cotton-school-bcs-shimla-presented-their-alma-mater-rs-1-crore-the-cheque-of-rs-1-crore-was-presented-to-roy-christopher-robinson-headmaster-of-the-school-the-old-cottonians-association-oca-the-alumni-committee-of-one-of-the-oldest-boarding-schools-in-asia-had-organized-annual-lunch-in-delhi-to-celebrate-the-completion-of-its-101st-years-/articleshow/12058891.cms|access-date=2021-06-19|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

Similarly, the Old Boys of [[Sainik School Rewa]] in Madhya Pradesh call their Old Boys Association as "Sainwinians".

[[Aligarh Muslim University]] Alumni had established AMU alumni associations all over India and elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.amuoldboysassociationdelhi.com/index.php|title=AMU Old Boys Association Delhi|website=www.amuoldboysassociationdelhi.com}}</ref>

Some of the other schools to use the term are [[La Martiniere Calcutta]], [[Calcutta Boys' School]], [[La Martinière College, Lucknow|La Martinière College Lucknow]], [[Mayo College]], [[Mayo College Girls School]], [[St. Paul's School, Darjeeling|St. Paul's School Darjeeling]], [[St. Edward's School, Shimla|St. Edward's School Shimla]], [[The Lawrence School, Sanawar|The Lawrence School Sanawar]], [[Bishop Cotton Boys' School]].

== New Zealand ==
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In New Zealand, many schools maintain old boys/girls/students associations, but the term "old boy network" is typically used about the elite public and private secondary schools such as [[Auckland Grammar School]], [[King's College, Auckland|King's College]], [[Sacred Heart College, Auckland|Sacred Heart College]], [[Christ's College, Christchurch|Christ's College]] and [[Scots College, Wellington|Scots College]].

==Switzerland==
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In Switzerland, the term can be used for the networks set up by the alumni organizations of private boarding schools such as [[Institut Le Rosey]], [[Aiglon College]], [[College Alpin International Beau Soleil]], and [[College du Leman]]. These elite Swiss private schools are considered to have among the most prestigious alumni registries, with Switzerland having the highest private school fees in the world; these institutions attract the children of royalty, celebrities, political leaders, and business executives.<ref name="Business Insider">{{cite web |last1=Gorman |first1=Andree |title=10 of the most exclusive boarding schools for the super-rich are in one country |website=[[Business Insider]] |date=8 September 2015 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/most-exclusive-and-expensive-boarding-schools-in-the-world-2017-2}}</ref> Strong old boys/girls network also exist in private universities, notably [[École hôtelière de Lausanne]] and [[Les Roches International School of Hotel Management]].

==United Kingdom==
In the United Kingdom, the "old boy network" is seen as existing primarily among those educated at the fee-paying independent schools ([[Public school (United Kingdom)|public schools]]) of the [[Eton Group]] and the [[Rugby Group]] including, but not limited to, [[Charterhouse School]], [[Eton College]], [[Harrow School]], [[Oundle School]], [[Radley College]], [[Rugby School]], [[Sherborne School]], [[Bedford School]], [[Shrewsbury School]], [[Stowe School]], [[Wellington College, Berkshire|Wellington College]], [[Westminster School]] and [[Winchester College]], as well as at the colleges of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]], although to some extent such networks exist for all institutions producing large numbers of "old boys" and girls.  The existence of "old boy" networks is often blamed for the high proportion of former pupils of high-status schools and universities in high-status positions in government, business, and other professions. For instance, between them, [[Harrow School|Harrow]] and [[Eton College|Eton]] have 26 British [[prime ministers]] among their old boys. In practice, attendance at certain educational institutions is typical of the British "[[ruling class]]" and [[upper middle class]], and where [[nepotism]] exists it may be driven more often by personal relationships than by educational networks.

An organisation called Future First promotes the use of such networks among those educated at state schools.<ref>{{cite web|author=Future First |url=http://www.futurefirst.org.uk |title=Future First |publisher=Future First |access-date=24 June 2012}}</ref>

==United States==
In the United States, the "Old Boys Network" is a term more focused on the inside track with connections to powerful and ambitious individuals formed through work, professional and community service organizations, and private clubs. However, the original term of being associated with education has sometimes also been used in this context.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McClain |first1=Linda C. |author-link=Linda McClain |title="'Male Chauvinism' Is Under Attack From All Sides at Present": Roberts v. United States Jaycees, Sex Discrimination, and the First Amendment |journal=Fordham Law Review |date=2019 |volume=87 |page=2402 |url=https://scholarship.law.bu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1598&context=faculty_scholarship |access-date=26 November 2019}}(Quoting Brief Amicus Curiae of the National Organization for Women et al. in Support of Reversal, Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees, 468 U.S. 609 (1984) (No. 83-724), 1984 U.S. S. Ct. Briefs LEXIS 226, at p. 19).</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Education|Society}}
* [[Affirmative action]]
* [[Alumni association]]
* [[Association of Representatives of Old Pupils Societies]] in the UK
* [[Blat (favors)]]
* [[Collective narcissism]]
* [[Cronyism]]
* [[Fraternities and sororities]]
* [[Guanxi]]
* [[In-group bias]]
* [[Jeon-gwan ye-u]]
* [[Legacy preferences]]
* [[Social capital]]
* [[White shoe brigade]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://hdl.handle.net/10227/181 Networks, Organisations and Men by Teemu Tallberg, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsinki]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Old boy network}}
[[Category:Alumni by educational institution]]
[[Category:Culture of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Oxbridge]]
[[Category:Types of organization]]
[[Category:Fraternity and sorority culture]]