Sex capital

Sex capital (also erotic capital ) is the social value of an individual as a function of their sexual attraction . Like other forms of capital , sex capital is convertible and can be helpful in acquiring social or economic capital .

Based on the human capital theory of Nobel Prize winner Gary Becker , Michael Grossman developed the term “health capital ” in 1972. Robert Michael expanded this to include the aspect of sex capital and postulates that if an individual uses his sexual attraction, it is a rational investment decision for which he expects a return.

In addition to this economic approach, sexual capital also has a sociological dimension. According to Bourdieu , Adam Green defines sexual capital as the totality of the attributes of an individual that have an erotic effect on others. This can include unchangeable characteristics such as body size and skin color as well as artificially acquired characteristics, for example through fitness training or plastic surgery . From this point of view, sexual capital is less individual capital than a property of the social field .

In contrast, Catherine Hakim treats sexual capital without reference to the field as a fourth personal asset, alongside economic, cultural and social capital. She argues that erotic capital is relevant beyond sexuality and private relationships in areas such as advertising and politics.

literature

Catherine Hakim: Erotic Capital . In: Internationale Politik , May / June 2010 edition .

Web links

Andrea Seibel: The erotic capital of powerful women . September 27, 2011.
Alina Fichter: On high heels further up . June 10, 2010.
Lucy Kellaway : Recipes for Success in Your Profession: Erotic Capital . October 29, 2011.

Individual evidence

^ Robert T. Michael: Sexual Capital: An extension of Grossman's concept of health capital . In: Journal of Health Economics . 23, No. 4, 2004, pp. 643-652. doi : 10.1016 / j.jhealeco.2004.04.003 . PMID 15587691 .
^ Adam Isaiah Green: The Social Organization of Desire: The Sexual Fields Approach . In: American Sociological Association (Ed.): Sociological Theory . 26, Philadelphia , 2008, pp. 25-50. doi : 10.1111 / j.1467-9558.2008.00317.x .
^ John Levi Martin , George, Matt, Theories of Sexual Stratification: Toward an Analytics of the Sexual Field and a Theory of Sexual Capital . In: Sociological Theory . 24, 2006, pp. 107-132. doi : 10.1111 / j.0735-2751.2006.00284.x .
^ Susan Koshy: Sexual Naturalization: Asian Americans and Miscegenation . Stanford University Press , Stanford (California) 2004, ISBN 9780804747295 , p. 15.
↑ ^a ^b Catherine Hakim : Erotic Capital . In: European Sociological Review . 26, 2010, ISSN 0266-7215 , pp. 499-518. doi : 10.1093 / esr / jcq014 .

[Sexual_Capital-1] Robert T. Michael: Sexual Capital: An extension of Grossman's concept of health capital . In: Journal of Health Economics . 23, No. 4, 2004, pp. 643-652. doi : 10.1016 / j.jhealeco.2004.04.003 . PMID 15587691 .

[Green_Sexual_Fields_Approach-2] Adam Isaiah Green: The Social Organization of Desire: The Sexual Fields Approach . In: American Sociological Association (Ed.): Sociological Theory . 26, Philadelphia , 2008, pp. 25-50. doi : 10.1111 / j.1467-9558.2008.00317.x .

[Theories_of_Sexual_Stratification-3] John Levi Martin , George, Matt, Theories of Sexual Stratification: Toward an Analytics of the Sexual Field and a Theory of Sexual Capital . In: Sociological Theory . 24, 2006, pp. 107-132. doi : 10.1111 / j.0735-2751.2006.00284.x .

[Sexual_Naturalization-4] Susan Koshy: Sexual Naturalization: Asian Americans and Miscegenation . Stanford University Press , Stanford (California) 2004, ISBN 9780804747295 , p. 15.

[Hakim_Erotic_Capital-5] Catherine Hakim : Erotic Capital . In: European Sociological Review . 26, 2010, ISSN 0266-7215 , pp. 499-518. doi : 10.1093 / esr / jcq014 .