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Eight people, including six women of East Asian descent, at three massage spas were killed on 16 March 2021 in Atlanta, USA by a 21-year-old White man who sought to eliminate 'temptation' for a sex addiction he claimed to experience. This mass killing compelled public discussion about the hypersexualisation of Asian women in White, Western contexts and the risks faced by Asian women in 'intimate labour'. This occurred alongside a dialogical shift towards sex worker rights in public and media discourses, yet these public dialogues appeared to occur alongside each other, rather than in interaction with each other. In between these dialogues remained questions about the legacies of hypersexualisation and what this means for Asian women in sex work, an industry that resists convenient understandings of desire and power and where hypersexuality may be simultaneously contested and deployed. This article bridges these dialogues to explore how a sex worker rights framework can engage with questions of race, hypersexualisation and erotic capital for Asian women in sex work. This is followed by an analysis of responses to hypersexualisation within Asian diasporic communities, and the implications for a more inclusive sex worker rights movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research suggests that young sexual minority Black men (YSMBM) must navigate racialized notions of desirability in the context of sex and intimacy. For YSMBM, identifying as a 'top' (i.e., the insertive sexual partner) may grant relative desirability, due to stereotypes that categorize Black men as tops. Thus, sexual positioning might be thought of as one facet of YSMBM's erotic capital and may have consequences for partner-selection dynamics, such as self-reported subjective racial attraction. Using data from a cross-sectional web-survey of YSMBM (N = 1,778), a chi-square test of independence and multinomial logistic regression were performed to examine whether men's sexual positioning role (identifying as mostly bottom, versatile, or mostly top) were associated with racial attraction (being mostly attracted to one's same race, a different race, or having no racial preferences). Compared with men who identified as mostly bottom or versatile, men who identified as mostly top had significantly greater odds of reporting primary attraction to men of a different race/ethnicity than they were to report primary attraction to men of their same race/ethnicity, or to report having no racial preferences. The dynamics of erotic capital at the intersection of race and sexual position may lead to perceptions of (un)desirability among YSMBM, which may, in turn, influence subjective racial attraction differentially across sexual positioning roles. Future research should examine these relationships using more sophisticated study designs and explore implications for mental health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's society, individuals invest considerable effort into enhancing their physical appearance for socioeconomic success. Despite significantly expanding the boundaries of luxury brands, there has been limited academic exploration into the analysis of luxury brand value from an erotic capital perspective. This study explores the effect of erotic capital on the consumption value and purchase intention of luxury brands. We surveyed 148 VIP customers of major luxury brands and ascertained key elements of erotic capital, notably finding that factors such as pleasure, beauty, and arousal positively influence consumer behavior. Additionally, we confirmed the moderating effects of age and VIP level. Our findings suggest that luxury brands should incorporate the concept of erotic capital into their designs and marketing strategies while maintaining their brand identity to effectively navigate rapidly changing market environments and expand their customer base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young adults have gone from consulting matchmakers to app-makers, as they seek ways to meet sexual and romantic partners. Each dating application is constructed in a distinctive manner, creating unique "sexual fields" on each platform. In this study, I consider the affordances of four dating applications—the structure of profiles, available search filters, and application features—in order to understand how dating applications construct sexual fields and emphasize different forms of erotic and romantic capital. I find that which qualities constitute capital differs depending on the platform politics of the application, and the sexual fields vary according to the intended audience and outcome of the rules for interactions on the app. Such an analysis reveals how forces of heterosexism, racism, and classism operate in modern partner-seeking, both romantic and sexual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many studies on Syrians in Turkey reveal a widespread reaction to Syrian women overly adorning themselves, and it is believed that this habit is due to their desire to acquire local men, none has specifically addressed the issue. The article tries to fill this gap to some extent by putting the subject under discussion. In the study, the subject is handled with the dimension of "sexual competition," which is discussed widely with its biological and psychological dimensions but not so much drawn attention in sociology, anthropology, and feminist studies. As a part of Darwin's theory of "sexual selection," "sexual competition" has been used to describe certain behaviors common to many living species, so its human (sociological) dimension has remained in the background. Although in many living species, to be physiologically strong or to own some biological traits attracting the opposite sex yield an essential advantage in sexual competition, humans have many other tools such as money, prestige, and status that compensate them. To this end, the subject is discussed through Pierre Bourdieu's conceptualization of "capital" and its complement, "erotic capital," proposed by Catherine Hakim. Another significant problem of the biocentric view is that it identifies sexual competition almost exclusively with men. One reason for this identification is that the competition between women is often presented in a way that does not conflict with the patriarchal codes that regard passive and chaste women as persona grata. To explain this point, the subject is discussed in the context of James Scott's idea of "passive resistance." A second aim of the study is to open the feminist silence about the phenomenon up for discussion. At this point, is questioned the role of the historically constructed patriarchal tendency ignoring female subjectivity in terms of sexuality in this silence. Thirdly, it is to reveal the cultural differences in how sexual competition is experienced. Thus, it aims to understand the socio-historical background underlying the victimization of local women, which is generally perceived through the accusation of Syrian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the concept of erotic capital, we claim that candidates' and employees' erotic capital is one of the factors that may influence on the decisions related to human resources management. Hakim's concept is however criticized for being too extensive, too incoherent and lacking empirical studies to support it. Therefore, we have conducted empirical studies. They aimed at validating the construct of erotic capital in the context of its role in the assessment of another person, assessment that is intrinsic to HR decision-making. An additional goal was to develop a tool (questionnaire) for estimating the impact of the candidate's/employee's erotic capital on decisions being made concerning recruitment and appraisal in the organization. Research was split into 3 stages. Stage one consisted of studying the literature. At the second stage, we proceeded with the assessment of content and face validity of the research tool. Within the third stage of the research, the construct was subject to theoretical validity check. Validation proved that the obtained model of erotic capital fulfilled the requirements of: reliability, validity (divergent and predictive) and unidimensionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have noted how online dating technologies are one important arena in which racism, classism, heteronormativity, and other systems of domination are reproduced. This often materializes via a "personal preference" discourse—a framing of desire as unique, individual, and untethered from systems of domination. Yet underexplored is how such a discourse, which fosters prejudice in preferences, is framed as socially acceptable. This paper draws on a content analysis of 858 unique profile screenshots and in-depth interview data of 26 users of Grindr, Scruff, and Jack'd to examine how users voice their "personal preferences." The content analysis results indicated that 24 percent of profiles listed a preference, and that most were framed in "positive" or polite ways (e.g., "I'm into..."). Analysis of interview data demonstrated that respondents engaged in what we call blatant exclusion and positive reframing in their interactions with other users to voice their "personal preferences." Users who did not state preferences still allowed their preferences to infuse their experiences on the app. We document how users negotiated racist, classist, and heteronormative preferences and, to an extent, how these users are understanding others' preferences. This study has implications for understanding the logic behind "personal preference" discourse and why it remains socially acceptable even as other systems of domination do not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the study was to explore the theory of erotic capital created by Catherine Hakim (2011). Starting from her theory – which says that individuals with a high erotic capital have some advantages in life – I have analyzed both the construction process of the erotic capital and the advantages and disadvantages of this form of capital. In my research I was focused on the following aspects: identifying the components of erotic capital, analyzing the social construction of erotic capital, and identifying the role of erotic capital in the personal lives of respondents. I used a qualitative research method, the interview. The results I obtained are largely in consonance Hakim's theory of erotic capital, all its components were presented and commented on by the respondents. Another important aspect of the study comes from the new perspectives which emerged during the research. Apart from the components of the erotic capital proposed by Hakim, in my own research it was identified other essential elements of erotic capital such as: self-confidence, intelligence, sense of humor, love or ability to adapt to new situations. This research was an exploratory one, being the basis of future research.

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Sociales (13159518) is the property of Revista de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad del Zulia Venezuela and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction People have different sets of capital and use them in their everyday lives to achieve their interests. There is a competition in society on the achievement of social advantages. One of the forms of capital, which is recently discussed in the literature, is the erotic capital. This kind of capital includes any aesthetic attractions used in interactions with other members of the society. To have the erotic capital and to try to increase it and paying time and money for it by social agents can open a new horizon for people who do not have high levels of other forms of capital. Besides, indices of this kind of capital are different among men and women. Of course, women have a long tradition of cultivating in using this kind of capital in comparison to men. This study aimed to formulate the constructed concept of erotic capital among young women in Mashhad. To achieve this goal, we tried to answer these questions based on the agents’ experiences: What is erotic capital? What are its properties? Material & Methods We took a qualitative approach and used empirical phenomenology. Participants in this study aged from 20 to 35; they have had an experience of interfering in their bodies, from soft to hard levels. The participants were selected based on the intended (purposeful) sampling method. Interviews were semi-structured and were 15 in sum. The scripts of interviews have been coded through 7 steps of the descriptive phenomenology. Discussion of Results & Conclusions Erotic capital is an important asset for women, which helps them to achieve their goals. This is the reason that they pay different kinds of costs to attain a level of erotic capital. The interviews in the present study showed that erotic capital has common characteristics with other kinds of capital. The findings of this research showed that the erotic capital in the inter-subjectivity of the social agents has had the following characteristics. The first characteristic is the erotic attraction as the basis for evaluation so that any interference in the body is for increasing the attractiveness, whether intended or unintended. This property is not individual and it is a social reception that gets meaning in social interactions. The second characteristic is the attachment of the erotic capital to the body. This means that all inferences, from limited to extended ones, are based on the body. The third characteristic is its transformability to other forms of capital. This means that erotic capital is interchangeable to other types of capital. This is a significant factor in achieving goals successfully among young women. The other property is that it is quickly dividable and accumulative. This means that people can invest in the erotic capital step-by-step. The other point is that this kind of capital can run different qualities on the body. The relative standardization is another characteristic of erotic capital. It means that in any society there are different definitions and criteria for beauty. Even inside a society, the descriptions and criteria may change. The main point is that members of a society at any time try to attain the beauty of the time. Interchangeability means that people who do not possess other forms of capital or are disadvantaged in this respect, can employ their erotic capital and transform it into other forms of capital. Differences in social agents’ experiences of formation, accumulation, and interchange of the erotic capital are the product of different levels of these properties. Finally, it can be said that erotic capital has the role of a facilitator in interactions and can be changed to other forms of capital easily. This capital helps women and young people to achieve their goals specifically.

The main objective of the study was to explore the theory of erotic capital created by Catherine Hakim (2011). Starting from her theory – which says that individuals with a high erotic capital have some advantages in life – I have analyzed both the construction process of the erotic capital and the advantages and disadvantages of this form of capital. In my research I was focused on the following aspects: identifying the components of erotic capital, analyzing the social construction of erotic capital, and identifying the role of erotic capital in the personal lives of respondents. I used a qualitative research method, the interview. The results I obtained are largely in consonance Hakim’s theory of erotic capital, all its components were presented and commented on by the respondents. Another important aspect of the study comes from the new perspectives which emerged during the research. A part from the components of the erotic capital proposed by Hakim, in my own research it was identified other essential elements of erotic capital such as: self-confidence, intelligence, sense of humor, love or ability to adapt to new situations. This research was an exploratory one, being the basis of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przeglad Socjologiczny is the property of Lodz Scientific Society / Lodzkie Towarzystwo Naukowe and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In contemporary society the quantity seems to have the upperhand compared to the quality, allowing to 'gain' numerically more frequent ratios. This has considerably complicated the conditions for building the foundations of friendship, solidarity, social relations and love. Love is a catalyst of emotions that make the interaction unique, not catalogable and not comparable to anyone else. These exclusive peculiarities of love lead 'homo sociologicus' to find in himself criteria of judgement, evaluation and motivation to act, which are not so appreciated in contemporary society, in which, on the other hand, the 'homo oeconomicus' predominates: solitary, selfish and egocentric. An actor, always looking for the best deal, driven by rational choice, careful not to fall prey to any emotion that does not have monetary advantages. Relationships become similar to products, and as such they must have characteristics of convenience, substitutability at all times, response to a desire or perhaps a more uncommitted 'desire'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Covering as a social action, like other social actions, in a society is influenced by some social factors. Social actor consciously uses a type of covering to influence other actors. Covering, then, as a social action is done by some social factors that form its meaning and content. A typology of covering includes a range of covering types that distinguishes quality of covering according to individuals’ motives and intentions in the forms of different covering types. Society as a container and culture as a content provide these covering types for individuals. This research attempts to study a typology of covering according to some social factors related to its types in Hamadani women. There are two fundamental questions that this research is going to answer them. First, how is woman typology of covering in Hamadan? And second, what are some social factors that form this typology and its constituent types? Material & Methods The study method is survey and its population includes all Hamadani women aged 18-50. For gathering information in exploratory stage, 40 women were interviewed with a specified covering range and its types. For studying relationships between research variables and the covering types, a questionnaire was designed after specifying covering types. A sample of 335 women who were selected by proportionate stratified sampling has been estimated through Cochran formula. The collected data were analyzed by frequency tables, x2 test, Cramer V, and contingency tables. Discussion of Results & Conclusions The research finding shows there is a covering range of Hamadani women including four covering types: comfort-intensive type, modesty-intensive type, exhibition-intensive type, and husband-intensive type. Hypotheses findings show that there are meaningful relationships between every four covering types such as influence from peer group, influence from expectations of significant others, financial reputation and prestige, amount of leisure time, following husband believes, attracting opposite sex for marriage, and marital status. Based on the above-mentioned relationships between the four covering types and their related social factors, findings suggest that husband-intensive type takes the most influence from peer groups. Peer groups and their social actions influence attitudes towards women type of covering. Peer groups act as a looking glass that women look themselves into it. Women covering types of husband-intensive and exhibition-intensive are influenced respectively by expectations of significant others. Significant others and some expectations created by them cause behavioral norms and patterns for women clothing. Findings also show that both covering types of husband-intensive and exhibition-intensive have the most relationship with financial reputation and prestige. Having high social status is a sign of wealth and reputation. It seems that some happened social changes during the last decades in Iran have created a kind of exhibitive society in which women use clothing as a symbol for showing their social statuses. Covering types of husband-intensive and exhibition-intensive have the most relationship with leisure time, too. It follows that in an exhibitive society, having more leisure time is related to some types of coverings. Another finding indicates that a majority of unmarried women have a husband-intensive type of covering for attracting husband. These women try to increase their erotic capital through their covering. It also follows that for these women clothing means the more erotic capital, the more chance of finding a husband. Finally, the research finding suggest that women with covering type of exhibitive-intensive and modesty-intensive have the most relationship with their husband believes. Covering types of these women, then, are influenced by their husband believes, whether secular beliefs or religious ones. Findings of this research on women typology of clothing and its related social factors indicate that, as a whole, there are different types of covering in a society that form a range of covering types for it, and these covering types are influenced by some social factors.

The current article studies capitalization of body in the context of the sociological theory of Pierre Bourdieu and his followers. The results of the qualitative visual analysis of Russian music pop videos from the perspective of various patterns of using body as a physical, erotic and symbolic capital are demonstrated. Based on the data obtained, three main patterns of capitalization of corporeality are identified: body transformation that marks one's position in the social hierarchy, regulation of body images symbolic value, and legitimization of gender strategies used for erotic capital accumulation and conversion.

Lola Astanova is a professional Uzbek-American pianist who resorts to controversial performance practices in line with neo-globalist trends. Thus, her extravagant musico-visual "spectacles" are recognisable by an excessive emphasis on female sexuality and the absence of a highly aestheticised, contemplative piano sound. This paper aims to explore how the ideological and interpretive strategies of this unconventional artist are imbued with the erotic capital and patriarchal power relations of the modern consumer society. A selection of publicly available performances by Astanova has been made, most of which are presented to the audience in the form of video clips. The focus is understandably on Astanova's interpretations of classical music, whose prosaic elements of eroticism and overdramatising musical narration are primarily, but not exclusively, intended for the ear of a patriarchally interpellated listener. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People have different sets of capital and use them in their everyday lives to achieve their interests. There is a competition in society on the achievement of social advantages. One of the forms of capital, which is recently discussed in the literature, is the erotic capital. This kind of capital includes any aesthetic attractions used in interactions with other members of the society. To have the erotic capital and to try to increase it and paying time and money for it by social agents can open a new horizon for people who do not have high levels of other forms of capital. Besides, indices of this kind of capital are different among men and women. Of course, women have a long tradition of cultivating in using this kind of capital in comparison to men. This study aimed to formulate the constructed concept of erotic capital among young women in Mashhad. To achieve this goal, we tried to answer these questions based on the agents' experiences: What is erotic capital? What are its properties?. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Internacional de Sociología is the property of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

By critically incorporating the concept of erotic capital, this research, which is based on an ethnographic study of female white-collar employees, discloses the gendered and sexualized dynamics of guanxi in urban China. The research first examines the male-centred standardized routine of guanxi through a detailed analysis of yingchou, a practice consisting of banquets and post-banquet activities, which can involve the use of women as subordinate 'erotic gifts'. Then, a four-type characterization of white-collar women is developed which demonstrates ways in which women can achieve more agentic, and potentially equal, guanxi status. The types identified in the study are: 'pseudo-brothers', 'rational legal professionals', 'the unreachable desired', and 'the unspoken rules followers'. Each type has a specific way of navigating the patriarchal structure of guanxi, though boundaries between types are blurred and women may change their strategy, and therefore their type, over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farol - Revista de Estudos Organizacionais e Sociedade is the property of Farol - Revista de Estudos Organizacionais e Sociedade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Following Catherine Hakim's notion of the increasing significance of 'erotic capital' in contemporary society, this paper addresses the effects of erotic capital in the realm of professional sports. Erotic capital may be closely related to popularity and thus represents a key marketing asset, in particular for female athletes facing a predominantly male audience. These ideas are examined here through analysing the media visibility of top tennis players in the German print media, as well as their global popularity (measured by search engine queries). The results provide further evidence of gender discrimination in sport since they show that the popularity of female athletes depends on their physical attractiveness whereas such a relationship does not exist for male athletes. Given gender-discriminatory consumer and print media preferences, female athletes face strong incentives to adapt to a sexualized sports culture that reinforces hegemonic masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the racialisation of women’s sexuality in contemporary Italy at the intersection between the national imagination and transnational cultural and commodity flows. Starting from the experience of a young Italian woman whose work centres on the commodification of her sexual desirability and who is recurrently classified as ‘foreign’, it discusses the roots as well as effects of the racialised male gaze under which she negotiates her agency. In so doing, it examines the meanings of her failure to be recognised as an Italian citizen as she navigates between contempt and desire, stigma and praise, alienation and pleasure. On the one hand, the article traces the thread between her experience and the othering processes underpinning the construction of Italy as a nation state and an empire, and whose legacies persist in the country’s postcolonial present. On the other hand, the article explores women’s racialisation as a process which can magnify the social and economic value of their desirability in a context increasingly characterised by the sexualisation of culture and trade. Based on ethnographic research undertaken in 2012–2013, this article contributes to the emerging body of postcolonial scholarship and intersectional studies on women’s sexuality in contemporary Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Born in 1985 in Montreal, of a Romanian father and a Québécois mother, Ina Mihalache moved to France in 2004; she created the weblog Solange te parle in 2011. Five vignettes of her series will be analyzed regarding discourse, sex, sexuality, and gender representations. With her texts which question the social norms of the feminine, the masculine as well as that of sexual encounters, with her natural-looking self-staging, Mihalache scathingly undoes the hegemonic models, valuing crude/raw, more authentic-looking subjectivities and sexualities—thus reframing new identity possibles/possibilities.

This article empirically analyzes how an individual’s degree of subjective well-being is affected by erotic capital. Using Hakim's theoretical schema and emic and etic criteria as references, we shall test several hypotheses regarding the importance of erotic capital compared to other types of capital (economic, social, human). Our main argument is that, while people consciously believe social or human capital to be most important for attaining a good life, erotic capital actually wields the most power. The data is based on the 2013 Spain’s General Social Survey. The results show the importance of erotic capital as a generator of subjective well-being and a better predictor of it than other types of capital. When the effects of ugliness or beauty were studied separately, levels of subjective well-being were decreased more by ugliness than they were elevated by beauty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to discover how important physical attractiveness is in finding a partner and in the type of partnership sought. Two surveys (2975 and 3004 by the CIS) and several methods were employed: linear probability models and fixed-effect multi-level models. For men, the results show that being unattractive decreases the likelihood of finding a partner, of finding a partner with a university degree, and of finding a partner with a higher educational level. For women, physical attractiveness does not affect the likelihood of any of those events occurring. The study has also found out that physical attractiveness has more of an influence on people with a working class background to find a partner with higher educational attainment. These results are unexpected and pose a challenge to the theory of erotic capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextualized within the UK mediascape, this article discusses how fat signifies the classed failures of neoliberalism. Because class aspiration, entrepreneurialism and the myth of the competitive individual are pivotal to the political economy of neoliberalism, fat is increasingly and vehemently vilified as abject across media platforms. Fat-surveillance media, which are marketed specifically to women by their visuals, gendered community, language and structures of feeling, participate in a ‘gynaeopticon’ where the controlling gaze is female, and the many women regulate the many women. Rather than being a top-down form of governance and discipline such as in the panopticon, control is affectively devolved among systems or networks of the policing gaze. As well as monitoring women along the lines of class, I argue that these media circumscribe the de-individualizing possibilities and passions of the libido. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by Bourdieu's forms of capital, theorists have utilized the additional category of erotic capital as a descriptor of the increasing importance of physical appearance to economic mobility. Although this phenomenon also exists in Mongolia, the pursuit of corporeal attractiveness only depicts one prevalent erotic field highly conceptually intertwined with values of market and modernity. Additionally, the prevalence of this belief in the emancipatory power of attractiveness also overlaps with indigenous concepts of fortune (hishig) and reputation (nerelkhüü), which most likely facilitated its integration in the Mongolian context. As a result, individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds pursue a standard of beauty associated with the wealthy and successful. In particular, women, who have been particularly hard hit by the vagaries of the current Mongolian economy, have increasingly turned to physical appearance capitalization as a means to safeguard their economic and social standing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text approaches the relations between the new spirit of capitalism, emotions and erotic capital, a concept advocated by Catherine Hakim, from Bourdieu's proposal of cultural capital idea. It is argued that the media, among its countless roles, is also a diffuser of excitement and eroticism, a fundamental attribute within the body and contemporary knowledge markets. In addition to the knowledge acquired in universities, men and women display her erotic attributes. Thus, it is questioned the presence of emotion and eroticism in the media, and it is highlighted the communicative potentiality of mediatized eroticism, which allows questioning what body we are or want to be, from new repertoires and attributes the means offer for consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Educacao & Sociedade is the property of Centro de Estudos de Educacao e Sociedade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Traditionally, social scientists have studied socio-economic inequalities mainly by looking at the impact of individuals' economic, cultural and social capital. Some scholars have recently argued that other types of resources, such as genetic and erotic capital, may also play a role in the processes that lead to the formation of social inequalities. Using a unique longitudinal dataset, the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, this paper explores the impact of facial attractiveness on people's socio-economic standing over the life course. Methodologically, we employ a set of multilevel Growth Curve Models. Two findings clearly stand out from our analysis. Firstly, facial attractiveness does matter, both for men and women, and secondly, its impact is constant over the employment history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I conduct a close reading of Catherine Hakim’s theory concerning the relationship of sexual desirability to power and gender inequality. I suggest that Hakim’s thesis requires renewed attention not only because of the international reach of her work, but because it reflects a general cultural sentiment concerning women’s sexuality and power. I argue that her primary concept—erotic capital—is overstretched, internally inconsistent, and asociological, glossing over the structures of race, class and age that mediate women’s access to the resource. Moreover, I show the two ways that Hakim might remedy her theory, but conclude that both are indefensible. In turn, the policy implications Hakim derives from her theory of erotic capital, along with the more general cultural notion that equates sexual desirability with power, are put in high relief. I conclude by noting the existence of a productive stream of sociological theory—the sexual fields framework (Green, 2008)—that develops a concept of erotic/sexual capital which predates Hakim’s work and offers a more sociologically grounded analysis of power and desirability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Aristocratic' transactional relationships are widespread in Nigerian universities. Nigerian cultures positively sanction repressive sexual activities among single unmarried adolescents until the wedding night. Modernity has confronted this cultural prescription, as youths, particularly girls, engage in transactional exchange in different contexts. However, the literature on transactional sex in the ivory towers is not rich enough on client recruitment and management among female undergraduates in Nigeria. This study utilised in-depth interviews to collect data from 30 purposively selected female undergraduates. Findings show that the prostitution label is substituted for 'runs-girls', as a distinct social category. Clients are recruited on and off campus through mastery of routine activities of 'aristocrats' on campus, connection and referrals. The 'aristos' include wealthy postgraduate students, politicians, business men, and military personnel, among others. The sex work is undertaken on and off campus, in hotels or in the private residences of 'runs-girls'. 'Aristocratic' transactional sex is sustained by erotic capital, including dexterous bed skills, such as sucking and romance. Luxury possessions, such as cars, BlackBerry phones and social security (job placement) after school life are the perceived derivable benefits of the erotic association. Provision of part-time jobs for vulnerable students could positively reduce transactional sex in ivory towers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sexualization of the female body in contemporary media has created considerable anxiety about its impact on girls. Much of the resulting research focuses on the influence of visual media on body image and the flow-on effects for girls' health. Rather less attention is paid to the pedagogical role of popular romance fiction in teaching girls about their sexuality. Given the pronounced increase in eroticized fiction for girls over the past decade, this is a significant oversight. This article applies Hakim's (2010) concept of erotic capital to two chick lit novels for girls. The elements of erotic capital-assets additional to economic, cultural and social capital-are used to explore the lessons these novels teach about girl sexual subjectivities and sociality in a sexualized culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]