 a socialite is a person who has a reputation in society for spending a significant amount of time participating in social activities such as parties and other fashionable events, entertaining guests and being entertained by others of similar standing. american members of the establishment, or an american "society" based on birth, breeding, education, and economic standing, were originally listed in the social register, a directory of the names and addresses of the "preferred social contacts" of the prominent families in the 19th century. in 1886, louis keller started to consolidate these lists and package them for sale. ==18th and 19th centuries== the concept of socialites dates to the 18th and 19th century. most of the earliest socialites were wives or mistresses of royalty or nobility, but being a socialite was more a duty and a means of survival than a form of pleasure. bashful queens were often forced to play gracious and wealthy hostess to people who despised them. mistresses had to pay for their social reputation and had to use their social skills to obtain favor in the court and retain the interest of their lovers."what is a socialite?". wisegeek. retrieved 2013-12-30 with the increase of wealth in america in the 19th century, being a socialite developed into a role that brought power and influence. men and women became social climbers, which was made easy due to their abundance in money and means of attaining it (usually from inheritance). ==21st century== in the 21st century, the term "socialite" is still attached to being wealthy and socially recognized. the lines between being a socialite and celebrity with an exuberant partying lifestyle have since become blurred due to the influence of both popular culture and the media, particularly when the status of being a celebrity is largely due to that lifestyle. celebrities such as paris hilton and kim kardashian are examples of 21st-century socialites due to their ability to attract media attention and fame simply based on their connections and associations. hilton is the great-granddaughter of conrad hilton, the founder of hilton hotels & resorts and heiress to the hilton hotel fortune. due to her outrageous lifestyle, hilton was hailed by the media as "new york's leading it girl" in 2001."[http://www.biography.com/people/paris-h
Occupations Socialites Sociological_terminology