Erotic capital

O capital erótico - ou seja a noção de valor social derivado da beleza, atractividade e capacidade sexual - tem sido, nas últimas décadas, alvo de acesos debates quanto à sua legitimidade como estratégia de ascensão social e diminuição de desigualdade de género em campos tais como o mercado laboral. Este conceito tem surgido em múltiplas configurações, desde uma propriedade embutida num habitus estruturado, até a uma ‘moeda’ adquirível pela relação com determinadas expectativas dos campos sexuais, tornando a sua leitura e aplicação empírica algo difusa. Neste trabalho, procuramos analisar as formas como o capital sexual tem sido conceptualizado, atendendo à sua desigual distribuição social, bem como o modo como este é utilizado em estratégias de mobilidade e trade-off de capitais, sistematizando as principais ferramentas teóricas para compreender os impactos sociais da atractividade na modernidade tardia. Nisto, focaremos as propostas analíticas de Christiane Hakim (2010, 2011) e Adam Green (2008, 2011) como formativas de estratégias de utilização do corpo como capital, propondo uma matriz teórica, metodológica e empírica para o estudo destes fenómenos, enquadrando-os numa lógica de opressão capitalística patriarcal.
Keywords: capital erótico, atractividade social, campo sexual, habitus

Eva Illouz and the paradoxes of “emotional capitalism”

The purpose of the following essay is to explore the main concepts emerging from Eva Illouz's sociological reflections about the modern culture of love. Within her studies, the author focuses upon the relation between the principal ideals claimed by modernity (such as freedom, equality, autonomy) and their socialization, institutionalization and organization into the various social spheres – particularly the emotional one. Here emerges the so called "emotional capitalism", i.e. that particular cultural logic in which the "feeling" is the meeting point not only of the emotional instances but also of attitudes and practices belonging to the realms of the economic and the psychological.

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.

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.

گزارش سخنرا نی  محمد حسن محقق معین در  هفتمین نشست علمی کارگروه زنان ومناسبات خانواده انجمن جامعه شناسی ایران در دانشکده علوم اجتماعی دانشگاه تهران تحت عنوان:
حقوق و حریم خصوصی زنان: طرح و نقد نظریه سرمایه جنسی کاترین حکیم
در تاریخ 29 آبان و 13 آذر 1391

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.

El artículo analiza las interacciones de ligue entre hombres gais en la ciudad Tijuana. Parte del supuesto de que la masculinidad no es una característica que condiciona por sí misma el deseo gay, sino que el valor de dicha masculinidad depende de principios de distinción y jerarquización que conectan esas interacciones con estructuras y relaciones de poder más amplias. El texto retoma los resultados de una investigación etnográfica en la que se emplearon la entrevista itinerante y en profundidad, así como la “observación libre” en espacios físicos y en línea, con énfasis en la plataforma Grindr. Se recurre a las categorías con las que los propios sujetos hacen inteligible su deseo, para observar desde allí la intermediación entre la lógica y el sentido particular de sus actuaciones, por un lado, y las estructuras simbólicas y materiales que a su vez las limitan y posibilitan, por otro.

The concept of erotic capital, albeit not a new one, has come to the forefront again after the publication of the homonymous book by Catherine Hakim, whose theses stand in contradiction with the feminist agenda. Feminist philosophy encounters an epistemological challenge here, since the work of this British sociologist, highly promoted in the media and widely translated, aligns with postfeminist thought. Starting from the myth of real equality, it questions everything from equality policies to the very existence of certain forms of positive action. This paper develops a theoretical reflection about the concept of erotic capital
and sets out to prove that, in the guise of a pseudofeminist rhetoric, it actually encloses a reactionary and patriarchal perspective.

The aim of this article is to elucidate whether and how the theory of erotic capital may function as a feminist tool to subvert the hierarchies and relations in current economy in favour of the empowerment and liberation of women. Thus, by analyzing the ways in which white, liberal feminism directly constructs its claims and petitions through the absorption of liberal epistemological dogmas, we intend to search the direct relation between the ideology developed by white, cisgender feminists and liberal economics and politics. This article demonstrates how a theory of erotic capital does not lead to a feminist subversion of economy, but reinforces the liberal economic and political system that relies on a masculine and androcentric epistemology. The subjectivity that women can achieve through the exploitation of erotic capital is only as consumers and not as productive agents.
Palabras clave: feminist economics, aesthetic work, erotic capital, feminine identities.

Resumen
El objetivo de este artículo es arrojar luz sobre si el capital erótico puede ser considerado una herramienta feminista para la subversión de las jerarquías y relaciones económicas y favorecer una liberación de las mujeres. Para ello, observaremos cómo el feminismo blanco y liberal, ha construido sus peticiones sin cuestionar los principios fundamentales de la economía liberal con el objetivo de demostrar la relación que existe entre el feminismo blanco liberal cisgénero y el sistema político-económico liberal. Este artículo demuestra que la implementación del capital erótico no conduce a una subversión feminista de la economía, si no que fortalece el sistema económico y político liberal que se fundamenta en una epistemología masculina y androcéntrica. La subjetividad a la que acceden las mujeres por medio del capital erótico es en clave de consumidoras.

Key Words: economía feminista, aesthetic work, capital erótico, identidades femeninas

This study analyses alcohol-related articles appearing in Finnish women’s magazines from the 1960s to the present day. Women’s magazines are approached as institutions constituting feminine publicities that address issues of interest as well as problems and contradictions in women’s everyday life. Influenced by Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of field, habitus and capital, data analysis focuses around three main questions: (1) in what kinds of fields do the texts locate drinking; (2) what kinds of drinking-related subject positions do the texts offer their readers; and (3) what kinds of economic, social, cultural, physical, emotional and symbolic resources do they discursively construct and attach to these subject positions? The analysis shows that throughout the study period, women’s magazines’ alcohol-related texts position women readers into the realm of home and family and construct capitals that reinforce a ‘caring ethics’. On the other hand, from the 1990s onwards, alcohol-related ...

Лола Астанова је професионална узбекистанско-америчка пијанисткиња која је у складу са неоглобалистичким трендовима прибјегла контроверзним извођачким праксама. Тако су и њени екстравагантни музичко-визуелни „спектакли” препознатљиви по прекомјерном истицању женске сексуалности и одсуству високо-естетизованог, контемплативног клавирског звука. Циљ у овом раду је утврдити на који начин су идеолошке и интерпретативне стратегије ове неконвенционалне умјетнице прожете еротским капиталом и патријархалним односима моћи у савременом потрошачком друштву. Направљен је избор јавно доступних Астановиних наступа, углавном презентованих широј јавности путем видео-клипова. Притом, нагласак је, разумљиво, стављен на Астановине интерпретације умјетничке музике, чији су прозаични елементи еротике и предраматизоване музичке нарације првенствено, мада не и само, намијењени уху патријархално интерпелираног слушаоца.

En suivant six itinéraires d’insertion professionnelle, José Luis Moreno Pestaña met en évidence la manière indirecte dont des pratiques alimentaires contraignantes voire dangereuses peuvent s’imposer aux individus. Si l’obésité est souvent associée à la pauvreté, l’anorexie peut apparaître dans les classes populaires, dans la confrontation avec d’autres classes sociales.

به این احمق های نانجیب  چی بگم! ناز و ادای زنان، ولنگاری نیست؛ زنانگی است.کمترین استفاده از سرمایه جنسی ی خدادادی است. بفهمید نفهم ها!
آن چه از زنان و زنانگی می دانیم چه قدر است؟
از جمله عواملی که  در بروز خشونت علیه زنان  در طول تاریخ موثز بوده " به رسمیت نشناختن زنانگی" است. زنانگی کمتر به نحوی جامع مورد مطالعه میان رشته ای قرار گرفته است. شاید مواجهه مناسب با زنانگی از سوی زنان و نیز از سوی مردان در طول زندگی روزمره از بار اعمالِ خشونت علیه زنان و نیز علیه مردان بکاهد.
آیا می دانید زنانگی چیست که در باب ارتباطش با تحول ساختار دانش و فرهنگ، سمینار برگزار می کنید؟

Numéro coordonné par José Luis Moreno Pestaña
Présentation de l'éditeur
Le poids des corps inquiète. Parfois, ce sont des mannequins dont l’extrême maigreur suscite l’indignation. Plus souvent, c’est l’obésité que l’on présente comme une « épidémie » et à laquelle on associe nombre de pathologies (entre autres cardiovasculaires).
Ce numéro d’Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales soumet à la critique sociologique l’obsession de l’équilibre pondéral et l’injonction au corps fin et musclé. Dans des sociétés où l’image que l’on renvoie de soi dépend pour une large part d’attributs corporels, le poids mobilise médecins, nutritionnistes, journalistes et essayistes. Il fait l’objet de politiques publiques de la part des États et des organisations internationales. L’idéologie de la minceur règne. Elle provoque haine de soi et des autres. Elle discrimine à l’école ou au travail. Entre désir de conformité à la « normalité » et crainte du regard des autres, beaucoup vivent leur différence avec un sentiment de culpabilité. Pourtant, la sociologie montre que les corps ne sont pas neutres socialement. Les dénonciateurs de l’embonpoint visent plus particulièrement les femmes et les classes populaires. Inversement, ils promeuvent un corps qui suppose des soins, une alimentation et un entretien que tout le monde ne peut s’offrir. Véritables marqueurs sociaux, les corps échappent en partie au contrôle des volontés individuelles. Ils enregistrent l’inégale distribution des ressources économiques et culturelles et contribuent ainsi au maintien de l’ordre social en stigmatisant ceux que l’on rend coupables de ne pas se soumettre à la norme dominante.