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Lonely, Poor, and Ugly? How Cultural Practices and Forms of Capital Relate to Physical Unattractiveness
[journal article]
Abstract Physical attractiveness is increasingly framed as a meritocratic good that involves individual benefits, such as higher wages or success in the partner market. Investing in one’s physical appearance is thereby seen as a means to increase one's human capital. While the positive effects are well docum... view more
Physical attractiveness is increasingly framed as a meritocratic good that involves individual benefits, such as higher wages or success in the partner market. Investing in one’s physical appearance is thereby seen as a means to increase one's human capital. While the positive effects are well documented, its counterpart, the dark side of physical appearance, has received much less attention from social science research. This article sheds light on the negative effects of physical appearance using a theoretical framework based on the cultural sociology of Bourdieu, integrating both structure and agency perspectives. Using data from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS) from 2014, we demonstrate that unattractiveness is socially stratified by economic, cultural, and social capital. The article highlights the relevance of cultural factors (e.g. forms of cultural capital and cultural practices) for the analysis of the interplay between physical appearance and stratification as well as the relevance of physical appearance for cultural sociology.... view less
Keywords
ALLBUS; social attraction; habits; cultural capital; capital; social capital; achievement orientation; human capital; Bourdieu, P.
Classification
Cultural Sociology, Sociology of Art, Sociology of Literature
Free Keywords
ZA5240 v2.0.0: Allgemeine Bevölkerungsumfrage der Sozialwissenschaften ALLBUS 2014; attractiveness; cultural practices; economic capital
Document language
English
Publication Year
2020
Page/Pages
p. 80-105
Journal
Cultural Sociology, 14 (2020) 1
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975520905417
ISSN
1749-9763
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed