Sexual capital: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Social value from sexual attractiveness}} |
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'''Sexual capital''' or '''erotic capital''' is a form of social worthiness granted to an [[individual capital|individual]], as a result of his or her [[sexual attractiveness]] to the majority of his or her social group. As with other forms of [[Capital (economics)|capital]], sexual capital is convertible, and may be useful in acquiring other forms of capital, including [[social capital]] and [[economic capital]]. |
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'''Sexual capital''' or '''erotic capital''' or '''sexual market value''' is the social [[Power (social and political)|power]] an [[individual capital|individual]] or [[social group|group]] accrues as a result of their [[sexual attractiveness]] and social charm. It enables [[social mobility]] independent of [[Social status|class]] origin because sexual capital is convertible,<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach"/><ref name="Hakim Erotic Capital"/> and may be useful in acquiring other forms of capital, including [[social capital]] and [[economic capital]].<ref name="Hakim Erotic Capital"/> |
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== Origins == |
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{{see also|Catherine Hakim#The idea of erotic capital}} |
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The term erotic capital was first used by British sociologist [[Catherine Hakim]] in the early 2000s. Hakim defined it as separate from and building upon French sociologist [[Pierre Bourdieu]]'s concepts of economic, cultural, and social capital. She says erotic capital is independent of class origin and enables [[social mobility]], and argues that this makes erotic capital socially [[subversive]], which results in the prevailing power structures devaluing and trying to suppress it.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Erotic Capital: The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom|last = Hakim|first = Catherine|publisher = Basic Books|year = 2011|isbn = 978-0465027477|pages = 16–18}}</ref> In the [[manosphere]], the parallel term ''sexual market value'' or its abbreviation ''SMV'' is often used.<ref>Boysen, Benjamin. "Houellebecq's Priapism: The Failure of Sexual Liberation in Michel Houellebecq's Novels and Essays." Canadian Review of Comparative Literature 43.3 (2016): 477–497.</ref> |
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==Definition== |
==Definition== |
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===Economic=== |
===Economic=== |
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One economic-related definition is based on the human truth capital theory of [[Gary Becker]], and predicts that people invest rationally in exhibiting their sex appeal when they can expect a return on their investments. He defines this as a form of health capital, which is itself a form of [[individual capital]].<ref name="Sexual Capital">{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.jhealeco.2004.04.003|last=Michael|first=Robert T.|year=2004|title=Sexual Capital: An extension of Grossman's concept of health capital|pmid=15587691|journal=Journal of Health Economics|volume=23|issue=4|pages=643–652}}</ref> Another definition comes from Capital Portfolio Theory, in which Green argues that sexual capital is part of an individual's overall capital portfolio. An individual can transfer their sexual capital to other forms of capital within Capital Portfolio Theory.<ref name=":6" /> From an economic perspective, having high sexual capital is advantageous, since it can help an individual in multiple aspects of their lives. For example, multiple studies have shown that increased [[physical attractiveness]] is correlated with higher incomes after eliminating other factors.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hamermesh|first1=Daniel S|last2=Biddle|first2=Jeff E|date=November 1993|title=Beauty and the Labor Market|periodical=Working Paper Series |series=Working Paper Series |url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w4518|doi=10.3386/w4518|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Biddle|first1=Jeff E.|last2=Hamermesh|first2=Daniel S.|date=1998-01-01|title=Beauty, Productivity, and Discrimination: Lawyers' Looks and Lucre|journal=Journal of Labor Economics|volume=16|issue=1|pages=172–201|doi=10.1086/209886|s2cid=158876583|issn=0734-306X|url=http://www.nber.org/papers/w5366.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hamermesh|first1=Daniel S|last2=Meng|first2=Xin|last3=Zhang|first3=Junsen|date=2002-07-01|title=Dress for success—does primping pay?|journal=Labour Economics|volume=9|issue=3|pages=361–373|doi=10.1016/S0927-5371(02)00014-3|s2cid=153613004 |issn=0927-5371|url=http://papers.nber.org/papers/w7167.pdf }}</ref> |
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The first more economic-related definition is based on the “human capital” theory of [[Gary Becker]], and predicts that people invest rationally in exhibiting their sex appeal when they can expect a return on their investments. This he defines as a form of [[health capital]] which is itself a form of [[individual capital]].<ref name="Sexual Capital">{{cite journal |
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|doi=10.1016/j.jhealeco.2004.04.003 |
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|last=Michael |
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|first=Robert T. |
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|authorlink= |
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|year=2004 |
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|title=Sexual Capital: An extension of Grossman's concept of health capital |
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|pmid=15587691 |
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|journal=Journal of Health Economics |
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|volume=23 |
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|issue=4|pages=643–652 |
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|publisher=}}</ref> |
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===Sociology=== |
===Sociology=== |
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The [[sociological]] definition is based on Bourdieu's idea of fields.<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach">{{cite journal|last=Green|first=Adam Isaiah|year=2008|doi=10.1111/j.1467-9558.2008.00317.x|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119404754/abstract|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105092034/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119404754/abstract|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-05|title=The Social Organization of Desire: The Sexual Fields Approach|journal=[[Sociological Theory (journal)|Sociological Theory]]|volume=26|pages=25–50|location=[[Philadelphia]]|publisher=[[American Sociological Association]]|s2cid=144338029}}</ref><ref name="Theories of Sexual Stratification">{{cite journal|author-link=John Levi Martin|last=Martin|first=John Levi|author2=George, Matt|year=2006|title=Theories of Sexual Stratification: Toward an Analytics of the Sexual Field and a Theory of Sexual Capital|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118552741/abstract|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105084644/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118552741/abstract|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-05|doi=10.1111/j.0735-2751.2006.00284.x|journal=Sociological Theory|volume=24|pages=107–132|issue=2|s2cid=144177617}}</ref><ref name="Sexual Naturalization">{{cite book|last=Koshy|first=Susan|year=2004|title=Sexual Naturalization: Asian Americans and Miscegenation|isbn=978-0-8047-4729-5|location=[[Stanford, CA]]|publisher=[[Stanford University Press]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/sexualnaturaliza0000kosh/page/15 15]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sexualnaturaliza0000kosh/page/15}}</ref> This definition builds on Bourdieu's concept of capital.<ref name="Logic of Practice">{{cite book|author-link=Pierre Bourdieu|last=Bourdieu|first=Pierre|year=1980|title=The Logic of Practice|isbn=978-0-8047-2011-3|location=[[Stanford, CA]]|publisher=[[Stanford University Press]]}}</ref> Green defines ''sexual capital'' as accruing to an individual or group due to the quality and quantity of attributes that he or she possesses which elicit an [[erotic]] response in another, including physical appearance, [[Affect (psychology)|affect]] and sociocultural styles. Some of these attributes may be immutable, such as an individual's [[Race (human categorization)|race]] or [[height]], while others may be acquired through fitness training, or artificially, through [[plastic surgery]] or a [[makeover]], etc.<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach" /> There is no single [[hegemonic]] form of erotic (sexual) capital. On the contrary, currencies of capital are quite variable, acquiring a hegemonic status in relation to the erotic preferences of highly specialized social groups that distinguish one [[sexual field]] from another. Importantly, this means that erotic capital is best conceived as a property of the field, and not an individual form of capital.<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach" /> |
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The sociological definition is based on the [[Pierre Bourdieu]]’s idea of “fields”.<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach">{{cite journal |
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|last=Green |
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|first=Adam Isaiah |
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|authorlink= |
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|year=2008 |
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|doi=10.1111/j.1467-9558.2008.00317.x |
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|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119404754/abstract |
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|title=The Social Organization of Desire: The Sexual Fields Approach |
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|journal=[[Sociological Theory]]|volume=26|pages=25–50|location=[[Philadelphia, PA]] |
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|publisher=[[American Sociological Association]]}}</ref><ref name="Theories of Sexual Stratification">{{cite journal |
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|authorlink=John Levi Martin |
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|last=Martin |
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|first=John Levi |
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|coauthors=George, Matt |
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|year=2006 |
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|title=Theories of Sexual Stratification: Toward an Analytics of the Sexual Field and a Theory of Sexual Capital |
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|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118552741/abstract |
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|doi=10.1111/j.0735-2751.2006.00284.x |
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|journal=Sociological Theory |
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|volume=24|pages=107–132 |
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|publisher= |
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|issue=2}}</ref><ref name="Sexual Naturalization"><!-- This is the associate professor, for the writer see [[Mridula Koshy]] -->{{cite book |
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|last=Koshy |
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|first=Susan |
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|year=2004 |
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|title=Sexual Naturalization: Asian Americans and Miscegenation |
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|isbn=9780804747295 |
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|location=[[Stanford, CA]] |
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|publisher=[[Stanford University Press]] |
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|page=15}}</ref> |
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This definition builds on Pierre Bourdieu's concept of capital.<ref name="Logic of Practice">{{cite book |
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|authorlink=Pierre Bourdieu |
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|last=Bourdieu |
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|first=Pierre |
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|year=1980 |
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|title=The Logic of Practice |
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|isbn=9780804720113 |
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|location=[[Stanford, CA]] |
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|publisher=[[Stanford University Press]]}}</ref> Green defines "erotic capital" as accruing to an individual due to the quality and quantity of attributes that he or she possesses which elicit an [[erotic]] response in another, including physical appearance, [[Affect (psychology)|affect]] and sociocultural styles. Some of these attributes may be immutable, such as an individual's race or [[height]], while others may be acquired artificially through fitness training, [[plastic surgery]], a [[makeover]], etc.<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach" /> There is no single [[hegemonic]] form of erotic (sexual) capital. On the contrary, currencies of capital are quite variable, acquiring a hegemonic status in relation to the erotic preferences of highly specialized social groups that distinguish one [[sexual field]] from another. Importantly, this means that erotic capital is best conceived as a property of the field, and not an individual form of capital.<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach" /> |
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A second definition is developed by |
A second definition is developed by Hakim, treating erotic capital as the fourth personal asset. This definition is a multifaceted combination of physical and social attractiveness that goes well beyond sexual attractiveness that is the focus of the 'fields' perspective. Unlike Green's conception of sexual capital, Hakim's erotic capital is an individual capital with no necessary referent to a field.<ref name="Hakim Erotic Capital"/> |
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|url=http://esr.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/jcq014 |
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Extensive supporting evidence for the concept of sexual capital, defined as beauty, physical attractiveness, and good looks, is provided in [[Daniel Hamermesh]]'s latest book, ''Beauty Pays'', where he reviews the research evidence on the economic benefits of being attractive in all contexts, including higher education teaching, politics, sales and marketing, and everyday social interaction. Hamermesh assumes these economic benefits must be due to unfair discrimination, a position he takes from [[Deborah Rhode]]'s book, ''Beauty Bias'', a feminist lawyer's critique of the social benefits that accrue to attractive people, and the disadvantages experienced by unattractive people, most particularly the [[obese]]. |
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|title=Erotic Capital |
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|author=Catherine Hakim |
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|work=European Sociological Review |
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|accessdate=2010-08-07 |
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}}</ref> |
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==Importance== |
==Importance== |
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{{One source|date=November 2019}} |
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Catherine Hakim suggests that erotic capital matters beyond the sexual field, and beyond private relationships. She has shown that erotic capital is important in the [[Mass media|media]], [[politics]], [[advertising]], [[sport]]s, [[the arts]], and in everyday [[Interpersonal relationship|social interaction]], and includes:<ref name="Hakim Erotic Capital">{{cite journal |
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Catherine Hakim argues that erotic capital matters beyond the sexual field, and beyond private relationships. Her research suggests that erotic capital is important in the fields of [[Mass media|media]], [[politics]], [[advertising]], [[sport]]s, [[the arts]], and in everyday [[Interpersonal relationship|social interaction]], and consists of six elements:<ref name="Hakim Erotic Capital" /> |
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|authorlink=Catherine Hakim |
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|last=Hakim |
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|first=Catherine |
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|year=2010 |
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|title=Erotic Capital |
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|pages=499 |
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|url=http://esr.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jcq014 |
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|volume=26 |
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|doi=10.1093/esr/jcq014 |
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|issn=0266-7215 |
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|journal=European Sociological Review |
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|issue=5}}</ref> |
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# [[Physical attractiveness|Beauty]] |
# [[Physical attractiveness|Beauty]] |
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# [[ |
# [[Sexual attractiveness]] |
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# [[Social connection|Social attractiveness]] ("grace, charm, social skills in interaction, the ability to make people like you, feel at ease and happy, want to know you and, where relevant, desire you"<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Hakim|first=Catherine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5oitW2m1QlUC|title=Erotic Capital: The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom|date=2011-09-06|publisher=Basic Books|isbn=978-0-465-02747-7|language=en}}</ref>) |
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# Social attractiveness |
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# Vivaciousness and energy ("a mixture of physical fitness, social energy, and good humor"<ref name=":5" />) |
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# Vivaciousness |
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# Social presentation ("style of dress, face-painting, perfume, jewelry, hairstyles, and the various accessories that people carry or wear to announce their social status and style to the world"<ref name=":0" />) |
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# Presentation |
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# [[Sexuality]] ("sexual competence, energy, erotic imagination, playfulness, and everything else that makes for a sexually satisfying partner"<ref name=":0"/>) |
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# [[Human sexuality|Sexuality]] |
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# [[Fertility]] |
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Catherine Hakim's theory of |
Catherine Hakim's theory of erotic capital argues that erotic capital is an important fourth personal asset, alongside economic capital, cultural/[[human capital]] and social capital; that erotic capital is increasingly important in affluent modern societies; that women generally have more erotic capital than men, and that erotic capital has social benefits and privileges that benefit the female gender.<ref name="Hakim Erotic Capital">{{cite journal |first=Catherine |last=Hakim |title=Erotic capital |journal=[[European Sociological Review]] |volume=26 |issue=5 |year=2010 |pages=499–518 |doi=10.1093/esr/jcq014 |s2cid=198118608 }}</ref> This definition of erotic capital has been contested by some sociologists who reject the idea that erotic capital / sexual capital is something individuals possess, like a portable portfolio of resources, with no implicit link to the particular [[sexual field]] in which such characteristics are deemed desirable.<ref>For more, see {{cite journal |last=Green |first=Adam Isaiah |year=2013 |title=Erotic Capital and the Power of Desirability: Why 'Honey Money' is a Bad Collective Strategy for Remedying Gender Inequality |journal=Sexualities |volume=16 |issue=1–2 |pages=137–158 |doi=10.1177/1363460712471109 |s2cid=143070896}}</ref> |
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Sexual capital may be related to both sexual and mental health, as when individuals with low sexual capital show diminished ability to talk about or negotiate condom use with a partner possessing greater erotic capital, and develop negative emotional states as a consequence of feeling unattractive.<ref name="Green">{{cite journal |doi=10.1177/002214650804900405 |pmid=19181048 |last=Green |first=Adam Isaiah | title= Health and Sexual Status in an Urban Gay Enclave: An Application of the Stress Process Model |journal=Journal of Health and Social Behavior |publisher=American Sociological Association | volume= 49 | year= 2008 | pages=436–451 | issue= 4|s2cid=32929594}}</ref> |
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In broader theoretical terms, sexual capital is important for social theory insofar as it is one among other types of [[Capital (economics)|capital]], including [[social capital]], [[symbolic capital]], and [[cultural capital]] which influence the status accorded individual members of the larger society. Sexual capital is convertible to other forms of capital, as when actors parlay |
In broader theoretical terms, sexual capital is important for social theory insofar as it is one among other types of [[Capital (economics)|capital]], including [[social capital]], [[symbolic capital]], and [[cultural capital]] which influence the status accorded individual members of the larger society. Sexual capital is convertible to other forms of capital, as when actors parlay sexual capital into financial capital or social capital (e.g. [[Marilyn Monroe]]),<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach" /><ref name="Hakim Erotic Capital" /> or when attractive employees get raises and social connections from bringing in more customers by virtue of their looks.<ref name="Prospect">{{cite journal |url=http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2010/03/have-you-got-erotic-capital/ |issue=169 |date=24 March 2010 |first=Catherine |last=Hakim |title=Have you got erotic capital? |journal=Prospect Magazine |access-date=2010-06-06 |archive-date=8 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308040238/http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2010/03/have-you-got-erotic-capital/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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|url=http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2010/03/have-you-got-erotic-capital/ |
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|issue=169 |
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|date=24 March 2010 |
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|first=Catherine |
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|last=Hakim |
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|title=Have you got erotic capital? |
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|work=Prospect Magazine |
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|accessdate=2010-06-06 |
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}}</ref> |
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== Cultural and contextual factors == |
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==Race== |
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{{see also|Physical attractiveness#General contributing factors}} |
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===Race=== |
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Several studies suggest that sexual capital is closely associated with [[Race (classification of human beings)|race]] or racial stereotypes of sexual attractiveness. Gonzales and Rolison argue that regardless of income US white men enjoy higher levels of “sexual capital” than black men, black women and white women, allowing them more sexual opportunities and more latitude for sexual experimentation.<ref name="SocialOppression">{{cite journal |
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{{See also|Race and sexuality}} |
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|last=Gonzales |
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Sexual capital is closely associated with [[Race (human classification)|race]] or racial stereotypes of sexual attractiveness.<ref name="SocialOppression">{{cite journal|last=Gonzales|first=Alicia M.|author2=Rolison, Gary|year=2005|doi=10.1177/0021934704263121|title=Social Oppression and Attitudes Toward Sexual Practices|journal=Journal of Black Studies|volume=35|pages=715–729|issue=6|s2cid=144496242}}</ref> |
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|first=Alicia M. |
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|authorlink= |
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|coauthors=Rolison, Gary |
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|year=2005 |
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|url=http://jbs.sagepub.com/content/35/6/715.short |
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|doi=10.1177/0021934704263121 |
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|title=Social Oppression and Attitudes Toward Sexual Practices |
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|journal=Journal of Black Studies |
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|volume=25|pages=715–729 |
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|publisher= |
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|issue=6}}</ref> |
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By contrast, Green finds a more complex relationship of erotic capital to race whereby some black men are afforded high sexual status in the context of a gay sexual field in New York City precisely because they appeal to the racialized fantasies of some white gay men.<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach" /> |
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Susan Koshy argues that Asian women have gained “sexual capital” in the West through glamorous accounts of western male – Asian female sexual relationships in the media and arts.<ref name="Sexual Naturalization" /> James Farrer argues that white men living in China have enhanced "sexual capital" arising out of associations of whiteness with modernity, sexual openness and mobility.<ref name="Alien Sexual Capital">{{cite journal |
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|url=http://sexualities.sagepub.com/content/13/1/69.abstract |
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|doi=10.1177/1363460709352726 |
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|format=PDF |
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|authorlink= |
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|last=Farrer |
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|first=James |
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|year=2010 |
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|title=A foreign adventurer's paradise? Interracial sexuality and alien sexual capital in reform era Shanghai |
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|journal=Sexualities |
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|volume=13|pages=69–95 |
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|publisher= |
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|issue=1}}</ref> |
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In the United States, [[White Americans|white men]] have higher sexual capital than white women, [[African Americans|Black]] women, or Black men.<ref name="Fresnoza-Flot Liu-Farrer 2022 p. 30">{{cite book | last1=Fresnoza-Flot | first1=A. | last2=Liu-Farrer | first2=G. | title=Tangled Mobilities: Places, Affects, and Personhood Across Social Spheres in Asian Migration | publisher=Berghahn Books | series=Worlds in Motion | year=2022 | isbn=978-1-80073-567-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P4VzEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA30 | access-date=2023-10-20 | page=30}}</ref> This is also observed in other countries, such as in [[Japan]], where Japanese women often earn more money than their white husbands or boyfriends. The preference for white men among Japanese women is strong enough such that they are often willing to overlook a white man's income when considering him as a potential partner.<ref name="Fresnoza-Flot Liu-Farrer 2022 p. 30" /> Japanese men in Japan are stereotyped as controlling, awkward or emasculated, while white women are viewed as mannish or too loud. These stereotypes elevate the sexual capital of Asian women and white men in Japan.<ref name="Seilhamer 2019 p. 173" /> Similar patterns have been reported in [[Taiwan]].<ref name="Seilhamer 2019 p. 173">{{cite book | last=Seilhamer | first=M.F. | title=Gender, Neoliberalism and Distinction through Linguistic Capital: Taiwanese Narratives of Struggle and Strategy | publisher=Channel View Publications | series=Encounters | year=2019 | isbn=978-1-78892-303-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tcaqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT173 | access-date=2023-10-20 | page=173}}</ref> |
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==Class and gender== |
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Scholars suggest that sexual capital is closely tied to [[social class]]. Groes-Green argues that sexual capital and other forms of bodily power become important resources among disenfranchised young men in Southern Africa when their access to [[economic capital]] and jobs is diminished. Groes-Green further argues that the emergence of sexual capital is linked to [[gender]] relations, e.g. when poor young men build sexual capital by grooming their looks and improving [[sexual performance]] in order to satisfy female partners and in competition with [[middle class]] peers and older so-called 'sugar-daddies'. Thus sexual capital reinforces [[masculinity]] in the face of male disempowerment, and it often develops as a response to conflict between [[hegemonic]] and [[subordinated]] masculinities.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Groes-Green | first1 = Christian | year = 2009 | title = Hegemonic and subordinated masculinities: Class, violence and sexual performance among young Mozambican men | url = http://www.njas.helsinki.fi/pdf-files/vol18num4/groes-green.pdf | format = PDF | journal = Nordic Journal of African Studies | volume = 18 | issue = 4| pages = 286–304 }}</ref> |
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Some [[Black people|black]] men are afforded high sexual status because they appeal to the fantasies of some heterosexual white women,<ref name="Green Sexual Fields Approach" /> but more generally black men suffer from systemic [[sexual racism]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Jesus G.|chapter=The Influence of Sexual Racism on Erotic Capital: A Systemic Racism Perspective|date=2018|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76757-4_21|title=Handbook of the Sociology of Racial and Ethnic Relations|pages=389–399|editor-last=Batur|editor-first=Pinar|series=Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research|place=Cham|publisher=Springer International Publishing|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-76757-4_21|isbn=978-3-319-76757-4|access-date=2021-10-17|last2=Morales|first2=Maria Cristina|last3=Han|first3=Chong-Suk|editor2-last=Feagin|editor2-first=Joe R.}}</ref> Susan Koshy argues that [[Asian people|Asian]] women have gained sexual capital in the West through glamorous accounts of western male – Asian female sexual relationships in the media and arts.<ref name="Sexual Naturalization" /> Sexual racism has also been studied to negatively affect gay men of [[Person of color|color]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Conner|first1=Christopher T.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rEMjEAAAQBAJ&dq=erotic+capital+%22asian+men%22&pg=PA125|title=The Gayborhood: From Sexual Liberation to Cosmopolitan Spectacle|last2=Okamura|first2=Daniel|date=2021-03-31|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-7936-0984-7|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Howard|first=Khoa Phan|date=2021-09-08|title=The Creepy White Guy and the Helpless Asian: How Sexual Racism Persists in a Gay Interracial Friendship Group|url=https://academic.oup.com/socpro/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/socpro/spab052/6366497|journal=Social Problems|volume=70 |issue=2 |pages=361–377 |doi=10.1093/socpro/spab052}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Riggs|first=Damien W.|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qak7DwAAQBAJ&dq=erotic+capital+%22asian+men%22&pg=PA67|title=The Psychic Life of Racism in Gay Men's Communities|date=2017-12-06|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-1-4985-3715-5|pages=67|language=en|chapter="Not Into Chopsticks or Curries"}}</ref> For [[Asian Americans|Asian American]] men, socioeconomic success does not bring additional dating or marriage opportunities.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kao|first1=Grace|last2=Balistreri|first2=Kelly Stamper|last3=Joyner|first3=Kara|date=2018-11-01|title=Asian American Men in Romantic Dating Markets|journal=Contexts|language=en|volume=17|issue=4|pages=48–53|doi=10.1177/1536504218812869|s2cid=70349580|issn=1536-5042|doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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=== Culture === |
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{{see also|Physical attractiveness#Social effects}} |
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Idealized traits can vary greatly between cultures, although there are a few [[Physical attractiveness|beauty standards]] that are almost universal. [[Facial symmetry]], for example, is a physically-desirable characteristic that is near universal.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Grammer|first1=Karl|last2=Thornhill|first2=Randy|date=1994|title=Human (Homo sapiens) facial attractiveness and sexual selection: The role of symmetry and averageness.|journal=Journal of Comparative Psychology|language=en|volume=108|issue=3|pages=233–242|doi=10.1037/0735-7036.108.3.233|pmid=7924253|s2cid=1205083|issn=1939-2087}}</ref> However, many physical characteristics, like height and weight, have different ideals based on an individual's culture.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Singh|first=Devendra|date=1995|title=Female judgment of male attractiveness and desirability for relationships: Role of waist-to-hip ratio and financial status.|journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|language=en|volume=69|issue=6|pages=1089–1101|doi=10.1037/0022-3514.69.6.1089|pmid=8531056|issn=1939-1315}}</ref> Not having a culture's desired physical traits can lead to a loss of sexual capital, which would likely decrease an individual's overall capital portfolio. This phenomenon is especially apparent when individuals relocate to an area with different beauty ideals, as there may be a large change in an individual's sexual capital.{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}} |
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===Religion=== |
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{{Global|date=July 2021}} |
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{{See also|Religion and sexuality|Virginity#Ethics}} |
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Sexual capital can be present in both secular and religious settings. Willey has shown that in an [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] youth group, sexual and erotic capital still play a role in partner selection.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|title=The Evangelical Sexual Marketplace: An Ethnographic Analysis of the Exchange and Conversion of Erotic Capital in an Evangelical Church |journal=Canadian Journal of Family and Youth |volume=5|issue=1|pages=1–37|doi=10.29173/cjfy18946|date=12 February 2013|last1=Willey|first1=Robin|doi-access=free}}</ref> Young adults often find a romantic interest in their church groups, often by choosing a partner who has sought-after traits, or a desirable personal capital portfolio.<ref name=":0" /> Within the Evangelical youth groups studied, sexual capital was displayed as virginal capital, in which an individual was considered more romantically desirable by the group when they had not engaged in sexual activity.<ref name=":0" /> Additionally, some studies point out how adolescents may reduce their religious involvement around their sexual debut.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal|last=Burchardt|first=Marian|date=2011|title=Challenging Pentecostal moralism: erotic geographies, religion and sexual practices among township youth in Cape Town|journal=Culture, Health & Sexuality|volume=13|issue=6|pages=669–683|issn=1369-1058|jstor=41148834|doi=10.1080/13691058.2011.566356|pmid=21462006|s2cid=27232949}}</ref> [[Pentecostalism in South Africa|Pentecostal]] adolescents in Cape Town were shown to reduce their church attendance in early adulthood, with some resuming their previous attendance after finding a long-term partner.<ref name=":7" /> These studies show some of the effects of religion on influencing sexual behavior norms of a community. While limited studies have been conducted on the effects of sexual and erotic capital within other religious communities, much has been written on how religion has shaped human sexuality. |
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===Class and gender=== |
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{{One source|section|date=March 2019}} |
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Scholars suggest that sexual capital is closely tied to [[social class]].{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} According to Christian Groes-Green, a PhD fellow at [[University of Copenhagen]], sexual capital and other forms of bodily power become important resources among disenfranchised young men in [[Mozambique]] when their access to [[economic capital]] and jobs is diminished.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal|last=Groes-Green|first=Christian|date=2013|title='To put men in a bottle': Eroticism, kinship, female power, and transactional sex in Maputo, Mozambique|journal=American Ethnologist|volume=40|issue=1|pages=102–117|doi=10.1111/amet.12008|issn=1548-1425}}</ref> Groes-Green further argues that the emergence of sexual capital is linked to [[gender]] relations, e.g. when poor young men build sexual capital by grooming their looks and improving sexual performance in order to satisfy female partners.<ref name=":8" /> Per Groes-Green, this puts the young poor men in competition with [[middle class]] peers and older so-called "[[sugar daddy (slang term)|sugar-daddies]]". Thus, Groes-Green argues that, sexual capital reinforces [[masculinity]] in the face of male disempowerment, and it often develops as a response to conflict between [[Hegemonic masculinity | hegemonic]] and subordinated masculinity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Groes-Green |first1=Christian |year=2009 |title=Hegemonic and subordinated masculinities: Class, violence and sexual performance among young Mozambican men |url=http://www.njas.helsinki.fi/pdf-files/vol18num4/groes-green.pdf |journal=Nordic Journal of African Studies |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=286–304 |access-date=20 February 2011 |archive-date=16 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216050051/http://www.njas.helsinki.fi/pdf-files/vol18num4/groes-green.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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=== Non-binary sexual capital === |
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Riggs has cited several studies of [[gay]] men's behavior on [[Grindr]], which showed that white users had received more attention on the app than users who did not identify as white in their biographies.<ref name=":1">{{cite book|title=The Psychic Life of Racism in Gay Men's Communities|last1=Riggs|first1=Damien|last2=Abraham|first2=Ibrahim|last3=Callander|first3=Denton|publisher=Lexington Books|year=2017|isbn=978-1498537148|pages=67–79}}</ref> Other studies have shown that men who report a taller than average height, a more muscular body, have more traditionally masculine characteristics, and self-identify as white receive more attention from other members than those who lack these characteristics.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Callander|first1=Denton|last2=Holt|first2=Martin|last3=Newman|first3=Christy E.|date=2016-02-01|title='Not everyone's gonna like me': Accounting for race and racism in sex and dating web services for gay and bisexual men|journal=Ethnicities|volume=16|issue=1|pages=3–21|doi=10.1177/1468796815581428|s2cid=147130084|issn=1468-7968}}</ref> Receiving more attention on [[Grindr]], measured by taps or messages from other users, has been used by researchers to find the number of individuals who viewed a profile as sexually desirable. This measure could signify higher levels of sexual capital.<ref name=":1" /> |
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Within the [[lesbian]] community, [[gender nonconformity]] has been thought to increase an individual's sexual capital.<ref name=":4">{{citation|last=Weber|first=Shannon|chapter=Lesbian communities|date=2015|encyclopedia=The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality|pages=649–719|publisher=American Cancer Society|doi=10.1002/9781118896877.wbiehs266|isbn=9781118896877}}</ref> However, the reasons behind this are often the product of society's views on gender nonconformity and lesbianism. Many [[Butch and femme|butch]] lesbians may have higher sexual capital within lesbian communities, since they actively subvert gender stereotypes, a trait often celebrated within the community.<ref name=":4" /> Conversely, [[Butch and femme|femme]] lesbians may lack sexual capital in queer spaces. However, feminine presenting queer women may receive sexual capital outside of lesbian communities, particularly among heterosexual men.<ref name=":52">{{Cite book|title=Unequal desires: race and erotic capital in the stripping industry|last=Brooks|first=Siobhan|date=2010|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=9781441678867|location=Albany|oclc=676700473}}</ref> |
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==Capital portfolios== |
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{{One source|section|date=March 2019}} |
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Because desirability in a sexual field may depend on more than merely sexual attractiveness, Green (2014) develops the concept, capital portfolio, to capture the particular combination of capitals that make an individual or group more desirable than others. Capital portfolios typically involve a combination of sexual capital with economic, cultural and social capitals.<ref name=":6" /> As an example, to the extent that women, on average, value financial resources (i.e., economic capital) in their male partners more than sexual capital, and men value sexual capital more than economic capital in their female partners, so one may conclude that heterosexual women and men seek out distinctive capital portfolios that include a different, gendered balance of capitals.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Green|first=Adam Isaiah|date=2011-09-01|title=Playing the (Sexual) Field: The Interactional Basis of Systems of Sexual Stratification|journal=Social Psychology Quarterly|volume=74|issue=3|pages=244–266|doi=10.1177/0190272511416606|s2cid=145534038|issn=0190-2725}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite book|last=Green|first=Adam Isaiah|title=Sexual Fields: Toward a Sociology of Collective Sexual Life|date=2014|publisher=University of Chicago Press}}</ref> |
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== Criticism == |
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As sexual capital and related theories by [[Catherine Hakim]] have gained public exposure, there has been criticism from several researchers. The arguments have focused largely on how Hakim's theory disproportionately impact women, even though she considers it a universal theory.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal|last=Green|first=Adam Isaiah|date=2013-01-01|title='Erotic capital' and the power of desirability: Why 'honey money' is a bad collective strategy for remedying gender inequality|journal=Sexualities|volume=16|issue=1–2|pages=137–158|doi=10.1177/1363460712471109|s2cid=143070896|issn=1363-4607}}</ref> Female sexuality varies to a greater extent across culture and [[socioeconomic status]] than male sexuality.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal|last1=Boislard|first1=Marie-Aude|last2=Van de Bongardt|first2=Daphne|last3=Blais|first3=Martin|date=March 2016|title=Sexuality (and Lack Thereof) in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: A Review of the Literature|journal=Behavioral Sciences|volume=6|issue=1|pages=8|doi=10.3390/bs6010008|pmid=26999225|pmc=4810042|doi-access=free}}</ref> Women from racial, socioeconomic, sexual, or gender minority groups may face additional pressures in what is considered attractive depending on their environment.<ref name=":52"/><ref name=":3" /> Additionally, Hakim's theory of sexual capital, including the idea that an individual can change their level of capital, is limited through these considerations.<ref name=":2" /> |
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While Hakim argues that sexual capital can be exchanged and modified by an individual, this is only possible for the average person in certain [[Political sociology|sociopolitical]] contexts. An individual is bounded by their society's views on sex, sexuality and social norms. In some cases, like in a [[neoliberal]] secular society, individuals have a wider freedom of choice in how they present their sexuality and eroticism.<ref name=":2" /> Bay-Cheng argues that in neoliberal societies, an individual's motivation for their behavior, along with the behavior itself, is used to evaluate their sexual capital.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bay-Cheng|first=Laina Y.|date=2015-10-01|title=The Agency Line: A Neoliberal Metric for Appraising Young Women's Sexuality|journal=Sex Roles|volume=73|issue=7|pages=279–291|doi=10.1007/s11199-015-0452-6|s2cid=143647756|issn=1573-2762}}</ref> |
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== See also == |
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* [[Casting couch]] |
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* [[Charismatic authority]] |
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* [[Halo effect]] |
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* [[Lookism]] |
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* [[Incel#Justifications for beliefs]] |
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* [[Mate value]] |
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* [[Physical attractiveness stereotype]] |
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* [[Soft power]] |
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* [[Wanghong economy]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{ |
{{reflist}} |
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==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
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{{refbegin}} |
{{refbegin}} |
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*{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.jhealeco.2004.04.003|last=Michael|first=Robert T.|year=2004|title=Sexual Capital: An extension of Grossman's concept of health capital|journal= Journal of Health Economics|volume= 23|issue=4|pages= 643–652|pmid=15587691}} |
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*{{cite journal |
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*{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/j.1467-9558.2008.00317.x|last=Green|first=Adam Isaiah|year=2008|title=The Social Organization of Desire: The Sexual Fields Approach|journal=Sociological Theory|volume= 26|pages= 25–56|s2cid=144338029}} |
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|doi=10.1016/j.jhealeco.2004.04.003 |
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*{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/j.0735-2751.2006.00284.x|last=Martin|first=John Levi|author2=George, Matt|year=2006|title=Theories of Sexual Stratification: Toward an Analytics of the Sexual Field and a Theory of Sexual Capital|journal= Sociological Theory|volume= 24|issue= 2|pages= 107–132|s2cid=144177617}} |
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|last=Michael |
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*{{cite journal|doi=10.1177/1363460709352726|last=Farrer|first=James C.|year=2010|title=A foreign adventurer's paradise? Interracial sexuality and alien sexual capital in reform era Shanghai|journal= Sexualities|volume= 13|issue= 1|pages= 69–95|s2cid=144501924}} |
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|first=Robert T. |
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|year=2004 |
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|title=Sexual Capital: An extension of Grossman's concept of health capital |
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|journal= Journal of Health Economics |
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|volume= 23 |
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|issue=4 |
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|pages= 643–652 |
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|pmid=15587691}} |
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*{{cite journal |
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|doi=10.1111/j.1467-9558.2008.00317.x |
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|last=Green |
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|first=Adam Isaiah |
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|year=2008 |
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|title=The Social Organization of Desire: The Sexual Fields Approach |
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|journal=Sociological Theory |
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|volume= 26 |
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|pages= 25–56}} |
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*{{cite journal |
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|doi=10.1111/j.0735-2751.2006.00284.x |
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|last=Martin |
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|first=John Levi |
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|coauthors=George, Matt |
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|year=2006 |
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|title=Theories of Sexual Stratification: Toward an Analytics of the Sexual Field and a Theory of Sexual Capital |
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|journal= Sociological Theory |
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|volume= 24 |
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|issue= 2 |
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|pages= 107–132}} |
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*{{cite journal |
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|doi=10.1177/1363460709352726 |
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|last=Farrer |
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|first=James C. |
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|year=2010 |
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|title=A foreign adventurer's paradise? Interracial sexuality and alien sexual capital in reform era Shanghai |
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|journal= Sexualities |
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|volume= 13 |
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|issue= 1 |
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|pages= 69–95}} |
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{{refend}} |
{{refend}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2010/03/have-you-got-erotic-capital/ Have you got erotic capital?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308040238/http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2010/03/have-you-got-erotic-capital/ |date=8 March 2012 }} [[Prospect Magazine]] |
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{{Portal|Sexuality}} |
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*[ |
*[https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2011/aug/25/catherine-hakim-erotic-capital Do you buy into Catherine Hakim's 'erotic capital'?] [[The Guardian]] |
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*[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111904875404576530350876953890 The untapped power of erotic capital] [[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]] |
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*[https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/love-without-limits/201211/celebrating-our-erotic-capital Celebrating our Erotic Capital] [[Psychology Today]] |
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{{human sexuality}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2011}} |
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{{human sexuality and sexology}} |
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{{Sex}} |
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{{ |
{{types of capital}} |
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{{Types of capital}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sexual Capital}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sexual Capital}} |
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[[Category:Cultural economics]] |
[[Category:Cultural economics]] |
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[[Category:Human appearance]] |
[[Category:Human appearance]] |
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[[Category:Interpersonal relationships]] |
[[Category:Interpersonal relationships]] |
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[[Category:Sociological |
[[Category:Sociological terminology]] |
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[[ca:Capital eròtic]] |
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Latest revision as of 14:40, 8 November 2024
Sexual capital or erotic capital or sexual market value is the social power an individual or group accrues as a result of their sexual attractiveness and social charm. It enables social mobility independent of class origin because sexual capital is convertible,[1][2] and may be useful in acquiring other forms of capital, including social capital and economic capital.[2]
Origins
[edit]The term erotic capital was first used by British sociologist Catherine Hakim in the early 2000s. Hakim defined it as separate from and building upon French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of economic, cultural, and social capital. She says erotic capital is independent of class origin and enables social mobility, and argues that this makes erotic capital socially subversive, which results in the prevailing power structures devaluing and trying to suppress it.[3] In the manosphere, the parallel term sexual market value or its abbreviation SMV is often used.[4]
Definition
[edit]Economic
[edit]One economic-related definition is based on the human truth capital theory of Gary Becker, and predicts that people invest rationally in exhibiting their sex appeal when they can expect a return on their investments. He defines this as a form of health capital, which is itself a form of individual capital.[5] Another definition comes from Capital Portfolio Theory, in which Green argues that sexual capital is part of an individual's overall capital portfolio. An individual can transfer their sexual capital to other forms of capital within Capital Portfolio Theory.[6] From an economic perspective, having high sexual capital is advantageous, since it can help an individual in multiple aspects of their lives. For example, multiple studies have shown that increased physical attractiveness is correlated with higher incomes after eliminating other factors.[7][8][9]
Sociology
[edit]The sociological definition is based on Bourdieu's idea of fields.[1][10][11] This definition builds on Bourdieu's concept of capital.[12] Green defines sexual capital as accruing to an individual or group due to the quality and quantity of attributes that he or she possesses which elicit an erotic response in another, including physical appearance, affect and sociocultural styles. Some of these attributes may be immutable, such as an individual's race or height, while others may be acquired through fitness training, or artificially, through plastic surgery or a makeover, etc.[1] There is no single hegemonic form of erotic (sexual) capital. On the contrary, currencies of capital are quite variable, acquiring a hegemonic status in relation to the erotic preferences of highly specialized social groups that distinguish one sexual field from another. Importantly, this means that erotic capital is best conceived as a property of the field, and not an individual form of capital.[1]
A second definition is developed by Hakim, treating erotic capital as the fourth personal asset. This definition is a multifaceted combination of physical and social attractiveness that goes well beyond sexual attractiveness that is the focus of the 'fields' perspective. Unlike Green's conception of sexual capital, Hakim's erotic capital is an individual capital with no necessary referent to a field.[2]
Extensive supporting evidence for the concept of sexual capital, defined as beauty, physical attractiveness, and good looks, is provided in Daniel Hamermesh's latest book, Beauty Pays, where he reviews the research evidence on the economic benefits of being attractive in all contexts, including higher education teaching, politics, sales and marketing, and everyday social interaction. Hamermesh assumes these economic benefits must be due to unfair discrimination, a position he takes from Deborah Rhode's book, Beauty Bias, a feminist lawyer's critique of the social benefits that accrue to attractive people, and the disadvantages experienced by unattractive people, most particularly the obese.
Importance
[edit]This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (November 2019) |
Catherine Hakim argues that erotic capital matters beyond the sexual field, and beyond private relationships. Her research suggests that erotic capital is important in the fields of media, politics, advertising, sports, the arts, and in everyday social interaction, and consists of six elements:[2]
- Beauty
- Sexual attractiveness
- Social attractiveness ("grace, charm, social skills in interaction, the ability to make people like you, feel at ease and happy, want to know you and, where relevant, desire you"[13])
- Vivaciousness and energy ("a mixture of physical fitness, social energy, and good humor"[13])
- Social presentation ("style of dress, face-painting, perfume, jewelry, hairstyles, and the various accessories that people carry or wear to announce their social status and style to the world"[14])
- Sexuality ("sexual competence, energy, erotic imagination, playfulness, and everything else that makes for a sexually satisfying partner"[14])
Catherine Hakim's theory of erotic capital argues that erotic capital is an important fourth personal asset, alongside economic capital, cultural/human capital and social capital; that erotic capital is increasingly important in affluent modern societies; that women generally have more erotic capital than men, and that erotic capital has social benefits and privileges that benefit the female gender.[2] This definition of erotic capital has been contested by some sociologists who reject the idea that erotic capital / sexual capital is something individuals possess, like a portable portfolio of resources, with no implicit link to the particular sexual field in which such characteristics are deemed desirable.[15]
Sexual capital may be related to both sexual and mental health, as when individuals with low sexual capital show diminished ability to talk about or negotiate condom use with a partner possessing greater erotic capital, and develop negative emotional states as a consequence of feeling unattractive.[16]
In broader theoretical terms, sexual capital is important for social theory insofar as it is one among other types of capital, including social capital, symbolic capital, and cultural capital which influence the status accorded individual members of the larger society. Sexual capital is convertible to other forms of capital, as when actors parlay sexual capital into financial capital or social capital (e.g. Marilyn Monroe),[1][2] or when attractive employees get raises and social connections from bringing in more customers by virtue of their looks.[17]
Cultural and contextual factors
[edit]Race
[edit]Sexual capital is closely associated with race or racial stereotypes of sexual attractiveness.[18]
In the United States, white men have higher sexual capital than white women, Black women, or Black men.[19] This is also observed in other countries, such as in Japan, where Japanese women often earn more money than their white husbands or boyfriends. The preference for white men among Japanese women is strong enough such that they are often willing to overlook a white man's income when considering him as a potential partner.[19] Japanese men in Japan are stereotyped as controlling, awkward or emasculated, while white women are viewed as mannish or too loud. These stereotypes elevate the sexual capital of Asian women and white men in Japan.[20] Similar patterns have been reported in Taiwan.[20]
Some black men are afforded high sexual status because they appeal to the fantasies of some heterosexual white women,[1] but more generally black men suffer from systemic sexual racism.[21] Susan Koshy argues that Asian women have gained sexual capital in the West through glamorous accounts of western male – Asian female sexual relationships in the media and arts.[11] Sexual racism has also been studied to negatively affect gay men of color.[22][23][24] For Asian American men, socioeconomic success does not bring additional dating or marriage opportunities.[25]
Culture
[edit]Idealized traits can vary greatly between cultures, although there are a few beauty standards that are almost universal. Facial symmetry, for example, is a physically-desirable characteristic that is near universal.[26] However, many physical characteristics, like height and weight, have different ideals based on an individual's culture.[27] Not having a culture's desired physical traits can lead to a loss of sexual capital, which would likely decrease an individual's overall capital portfolio. This phenomenon is especially apparent when individuals relocate to an area with different beauty ideals, as there may be a large change in an individual's sexual capital.[citation needed]
Religion
[edit]The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (July 2021) |
Sexual capital can be present in both secular and religious settings. Willey has shown that in an Evangelical youth group, sexual and erotic capital still play a role in partner selection.[14] Young adults often find a romantic interest in their church groups, often by choosing a partner who has sought-after traits, or a desirable personal capital portfolio.[14] Within the Evangelical youth groups studied, sexual capital was displayed as virginal capital, in which an individual was considered more romantically desirable by the group when they had not engaged in sexual activity.[14] Additionally, some studies point out how adolescents may reduce their religious involvement around their sexual debut.[28] Pentecostal adolescents in Cape Town were shown to reduce their church attendance in early adulthood, with some resuming their previous attendance after finding a long-term partner.[28] These studies show some of the effects of religion on influencing sexual behavior norms of a community. While limited studies have been conducted on the effects of sexual and erotic capital within other religious communities, much has been written on how religion has shaped human sexuality.
Class and gender
[edit]This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (March 2019) |
Scholars suggest that sexual capital is closely tied to social class.[citation needed] According to Christian Groes-Green, a PhD fellow at University of Copenhagen, sexual capital and other forms of bodily power become important resources among disenfranchised young men in Mozambique when their access to economic capital and jobs is diminished.[29] Groes-Green further argues that the emergence of sexual capital is linked to gender relations, e.g. when poor young men build sexual capital by grooming their looks and improving sexual performance in order to satisfy female partners.[29] Per Groes-Green, this puts the young poor men in competition with middle class peers and older so-called "sugar-daddies". Thus, Groes-Green argues that, sexual capital reinforces masculinity in the face of male disempowerment, and it often develops as a response to conflict between hegemonic and subordinated masculinity.[30]
Non-binary sexual capital
[edit]Riggs has cited several studies of gay men's behavior on Grindr, which showed that white users had received more attention on the app than users who did not identify as white in their biographies.[31] Other studies have shown that men who report a taller than average height, a more muscular body, have more traditionally masculine characteristics, and self-identify as white receive more attention from other members than those who lack these characteristics.[31][32] Receiving more attention on Grindr, measured by taps or messages from other users, has been used by researchers to find the number of individuals who viewed a profile as sexually desirable. This measure could signify higher levels of sexual capital.[31]
Within the lesbian community, gender nonconformity has been thought to increase an individual's sexual capital.[33] However, the reasons behind this are often the product of society's views on gender nonconformity and lesbianism. Many butch lesbians may have higher sexual capital within lesbian communities, since they actively subvert gender stereotypes, a trait often celebrated within the community.[33] Conversely, femme lesbians may lack sexual capital in queer spaces. However, feminine presenting queer women may receive sexual capital outside of lesbian communities, particularly among heterosexual men.[34]
Capital portfolios
[edit]This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (March 2019) |
Because desirability in a sexual field may depend on more than merely sexual attractiveness, Green (2014) develops the concept, capital portfolio, to capture the particular combination of capitals that make an individual or group more desirable than others. Capital portfolios typically involve a combination of sexual capital with economic, cultural and social capitals.[6] As an example, to the extent that women, on average, value financial resources (i.e., economic capital) in their male partners more than sexual capital, and men value sexual capital more than economic capital in their female partners, so one may conclude that heterosexual women and men seek out distinctive capital portfolios that include a different, gendered balance of capitals.[35][6]
Criticism
[edit]As sexual capital and related theories by Catherine Hakim have gained public exposure, there has been criticism from several researchers. The arguments have focused largely on how Hakim's theory disproportionately impact women, even though she considers it a universal theory.[36] Female sexuality varies to a greater extent across culture and socioeconomic status than male sexuality.[37] Women from racial, socioeconomic, sexual, or gender minority groups may face additional pressures in what is considered attractive depending on their environment.[34][37] Additionally, Hakim's theory of sexual capital, including the idea that an individual can change their level of capital, is limited through these considerations.[36]
While Hakim argues that sexual capital can be exchanged and modified by an individual, this is only possible for the average person in certain sociopolitical contexts. An individual is bounded by their society's views on sex, sexuality and social norms. In some cases, like in a neoliberal secular society, individuals have a wider freedom of choice in how they present their sexuality and eroticism.[36] Bay-Cheng argues that in neoliberal societies, an individual's motivation for their behavior, along with the behavior itself, is used to evaluate their sexual capital.[38]
See also
[edit]- Casting couch
- Charismatic authority
- Halo effect
- Lookism
- Incel#Justifications for beliefs
- Mate value
- Physical attractiveness stereotype
- Soft power
- Wanghong economy
References
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- ^ Hakim, Catherine (2011). Erotic Capital: The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom. Basic Books. pp. 16–18. ISBN 978-0465027477.
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- ^ For more, see Green, Adam Isaiah (2013). "Erotic Capital and the Power of Desirability: Why 'Honey Money' is a Bad Collective Strategy for Remedying Gender Inequality". Sexualities. 16 (1–2): 137–158. doi:10.1177/1363460712471109. S2CID 143070896.
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- ^ a b Seilhamer, M.F. (2019). Gender, Neoliberalism and Distinction through Linguistic Capital: Taiwanese Narratives of Struggle and Strategy. Encounters. Channel View Publications. p. 173. ISBN 978-1-78892-303-3. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
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- ^ a b Groes-Green, Christian (2013). "'To put men in a bottle': Eroticism, kinship, female power, and transactional sex in Maputo, Mozambique". American Ethnologist. 40 (1): 102–117. doi:10.1111/amet.12008. ISSN 1548-1425.
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- ^ a b c Riggs, Damien; Abraham, Ibrahim; Callander, Denton (2017). The Psychic Life of Racism in Gay Men's Communities. Lexington Books. pp. 67–79. ISBN 978-1498537148.
- ^ Callander, Denton; Holt, Martin; Newman, Christy E. (1 February 2016). "'Not everyone's gonna like me': Accounting for race and racism in sex and dating web services for gay and bisexual men". Ethnicities. 16 (1): 3–21. doi:10.1177/1468796815581428. ISSN 1468-7968. S2CID 147130084.
- ^ a b Weber, Shannon (2015), "Lesbian communities", The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality, American Cancer Society, pp. 649–719, doi:10.1002/9781118896877.wbiehs266, ISBN 9781118896877
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- ^ Green, Adam Isaiah (1 September 2011). "Playing the (Sexual) Field: The Interactional Basis of Systems of Sexual Stratification". Social Psychology Quarterly. 74 (3): 244–266. doi:10.1177/0190272511416606. ISSN 0190-2725. S2CID 145534038.
- ^ a b c Green, Adam Isaiah (1 January 2013). "'Erotic capital' and the power of desirability: Why 'honey money' is a bad collective strategy for remedying gender inequality". Sexualities. 16 (1–2): 137–158. doi:10.1177/1363460712471109. ISSN 1363-4607. S2CID 143070896.
- ^ a b Boislard, Marie-Aude; Van de Bongardt, Daphne; Blais, Martin (March 2016). "Sexuality (and Lack Thereof) in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: A Review of the Literature". Behavioral Sciences. 6 (1): 8. doi:10.3390/bs6010008. PMC 4810042. PMID 26999225.
- ^ Bay-Cheng, Laina Y. (1 October 2015). "The Agency Line: A Neoliberal Metric for Appraising Young Women's Sexuality". Sex Roles. 73 (7): 279–291. doi:10.1007/s11199-015-0452-6. ISSN 1573-2762. S2CID 143647756.
Further reading
[edit]- Michael, Robert T. (2004). "Sexual Capital: An extension of Grossman's concept of health capital". Journal of Health Economics. 23 (4): 643–652. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2004.04.003. PMID 15587691.
- Green, Adam Isaiah (2008). "The Social Organization of Desire: The Sexual Fields Approach". Sociological Theory. 26: 25–56. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9558.2008.00317.x. S2CID 144338029.
- Martin, John Levi; George, Matt (2006). "Theories of Sexual Stratification: Toward an Analytics of the Sexual Field and a Theory of Sexual Capital". Sociological Theory. 24 (2): 107–132. doi:10.1111/j.0735-2751.2006.00284.x. S2CID 144177617.
- Farrer, James C. (2010). "A foreign adventurer's paradise? Interracial sexuality and alien sexual capital in reform era Shanghai". Sexualities. 13 (1): 69–95. doi:10.1177/1363460709352726. S2CID 144501924.