Sexual capital

Definition

One economic definition, based on Gary Becker's human capital theory, treats sexual capital as a form of health capital that individuals invest in rationally when they expect a return. Another economic approach, Capital Portfolio Theory, sees sexual capital as part of an individual's overall capital portfolio that can be transferred to other capital forms. Studies show that higher physical attractiveness correlates with higher incomes. The sociological definition, rooted in Bourdieu's concept of fields, defines sexual capital as accruing from attributes that elicit an erotic response, including physical appearance, affect, and sociocultural styles.

Some attributes are immutable, such as race or height; others can be acquired through fitness or surgery. There is no single hegemonic form; currencies vary by the erotic preferences of specialized social groups. In this view, erotic capital is a property of the field, not an individual. A second definition, by Hakim, treats erotic capital as a fourth personal asset—a multifaceted combination of physical and social attractiveness that goes beyond sexual attractiveness and is an individual capital without necessary reference to a field.

Importance

Catherine Hakim argues that erotic capital matters beyond the sexual field and private relationships, being important in media, politics, advertising, sports, the arts, and everyday social interaction. She identifies six elements: beauty; sexual attractiveness; social attractiveness (grace, charm, social skills); vivaciousness and energy (physical fitness, social energy, good humor); social presentation (dress, perfume, jewelry, hairstyles); and sexuality (sexual competence, erotic imagination, playfulness). Hakim's theory holds that erotic capital is a fourth personal asset alongside economic, cultural, and social capital, that it is increasingly important in affluent modern societies, that women generally have more of it than men, and that it provides social benefits and privileges for women.

This view has been contested by sociologists who reject the idea that erotic capital is a portable individual resource without implicit links to the sexual field where traits are deemed desirable. Sexual capital may relate to sexual and mental health; individuals with low sexual capital may struggle to negotiate condom use and may develop negative emotions from feeling unattractive. In social theory, sexual capital is one of several capital types—including social, symbolic, and cultural capital—that influence status, and it can be converted into financial or social capital, as when attractive employees earn raises or bring in customers.

Cultural and contextual factors

Sexual capital is shaped by race and the stereotypes tied to racial attractiveness. In the United States, white men hold more sexual capital than white women, Black women, or Black men. A similar dynamic appears in Japan, where Japanese men are seen as controlling or weak, and white women as loud or masculine; this boosts the sexual capital of Asian women and white men.

Taiwan reports comparable patterns. Some Black men gain high sexual capital by appealing to the fantasies of certain white women, but overall they face systemic sexual racism. Susan Koshy notes that media portrayals of Western men with Asian women have raised the sexual capital of Asian women in the West. Gay men of color also experience sexual racism.

For Asian American men, financial or career success does not improve their chances in dating or marriage. Ideal physical traits differ across cultures, though facial symmetry is almost universally desired. Standards for height and weight vary by culture, and moving to a place with different beauty ideals can significantly alter a person's sexual capital.

Criticism

Criticism of Hakim's theory has focused on its disproportionate impact on women, even though she presents it as universal. Female sexuality varies more across culture and socioeconomic status than male sexuality. Women from racial, socioeconomic, sexual, or gender minority groups may face additional pressures regarding what is considered attractive.

Hakim's idea that individuals can change their level of sexual capital is limited by these considerations. While she argues that sexual capital can be exchanged and modified, this is possible only in certain sociopolitical contexts; individuals are bounded by societal views on sex and sexuality. In neoliberal secular societies, individuals have wider freedom in presenting their sexuality, but Bay-Cheng argues that in such societies, both an individual's behavior and their motivation for it are used to evaluate their sexual capital.

Did You Know?

• The term erotic capital was first used by British sociologist Catherine Hakim in the early 2000s.
• In the manosphere, the parallel term sexual market value or its abbreviation SMV is often used.