Women in the workplace are still reluctant to exploit what Hakim dubs their ‘erotic capital’
I expect the beauty industry has received a boost since Honey Money – The Power of Erotic Capital hit the shelves a few months ago. Written by Catherine Hakim, senior research fellow in sociology with the London School of Economics, the book is based on the argument that while women have no problem exploiting the various “capitals” available to get ahead in life, we are still reluctant to exploit in the workplace what Hakim dubs “erotic capital”. Our economic capital – money, our human capital – intelligence and education, our social capital – contacts and networking, are freely used by us to further our careers.
The exploitation of erotic capital, that is, the crucial combination of beauty, sex appeal, skills of self presentation and social skills, is something that women are reluctant to do but should at all times, as per Hakim, if they want to fulfil their full potential and earn up to 15 per cent more than their dowdier, less physically attractive, less-attentive-totheir- appearance, workmates. Investing in appearance is money well spent, writes Hakim and while her definition of erotic capital is broader than just good looks, essentially that’s what it boils down to. Thanks to her widely publicised and reviewed book, I’ve no doubt the beauty business is well pleased. Mind you , it’s not as if the mega-profitable industry needs a boost. Billions are spent annually anyway, even since the recession, by women who believe the promises pedalled by an industry entirely founded, in the first place, on women’s insecurity about their appearance.
All those wonderful promises, none of which have been substantiated by clinical trials, can now be relied upon to shore up erotic capital. The woman wanting to get ahead in the workplace will no doubt be drawn in, for example, by the “Pro-collagen wrinkle smooth pen” which promises to “Reduce expression lines by up to 68 per cent”. Or indeed the “anti-aging Serum made with wrinkle fighting ingredients” which promises to “Reduce appearance of wrinkles in as little as 15 minutes”. Not only are we promised our skin will be “Smooth and glowing with youthfulness” and we will sport “Beautiful, firm body contours” but we are assured in upbeat, mellifluous tones, despite the exorbitant price tag attached to these largely untested products, that we “are worth it”.
In her book, Hakim also reveals that she has used “the odd jab of Botox” and while there is nothing so energising as knowing you look well, the proliferation of cosmetic enhancements and that permanently startled, alarmingly commonplace facial expression, has to be the uglier side of the beauty business and the tampering with nature that is cosmetic surgery. Despite all that, the concept of erotic capital and the exploitation of same by women, is not new. Women have always known the value of looking well or at least most of us try to give it our best shot as much as possible. Many years ago, I worked with an insurance consultant who swore that whenever she wore her hair a certain way, plus left the top button of her blouse undone, she could consistently close a business deal on the spot. The reaction to Honey Money has swivelled between two divisive camps. On one side there’s the mightily appalled who accuse Hakim of setting women’s battle for equality in the workplace, back decades. (One highly prolific Twitter user tweeted: “Erotic capital and all it stands for makes me want to vom.”)
On the opposite side are the mightily bored who express disdain that such unoriginal material could generate a book and accuse Hakim of stating the “bleedin’ obvious”. Coming from the school of “If you have it, flaunt it,” I’m inclined to believe in using whatever capital you have at your disposal to get the job done. Why not? The French were there aeons before us with their expression Jolie-laide –the ugly woman who presents herself in an attractive way. What bugs me is how much your economic capital might be depleted by profit-hungry commercial interests in the shoring up of it.
Rather than relying on cosmetic surgery, or elaborately packaged tubes with their fallacious promises, all with exorbitant price tags, why not nurture a careful diet, regular exercise, good personal hygiene and a commitment to simple stylishness, all of which will preserve your economic capital, as well as exploiting the erotic one, along the way. Oh and maybe even a few words from 19th century American novelist Louisa May Alcott might be appropriate: “Simple, genuine goodness is the best capital to found the business of this life upon.”
