这本书对性的研究就像其他社会学家对文化的研究一样：它表明，不再由宗教定义的性，现在在经济中扮演着一个角色，可以在金钱、地位和职业领域产生有形的利益。人们是如何积累性资本的？投入金钱、时间、知识和精力来建立和提升我们的性自我会带来什么回报？
达娜·卡普兰（Dana Kaplan）和伊娃·伊洛兹（Eva Illouz）对当前异性恋生活的文化政治进行了梳理，认为性——性影响和性体验的混乱混合体——越来越具有经济特征。一些人可能会选择整形手术来美化自己的面部或身体，而另一些人可能会接受流行的性建议或参加诱惑课程。除了这些特定的实践之外，作者还追踪了一种新兴的“新自由主义”性资本形式，即从性接触中收集自我欣赏的能力，并利用这种自我价值来培养就业能力，硅谷性派对就是一个例子。
这本极具原创性的书将吸引社会学、人类学、性别研究和文化研究领域的学生和学者，以及任何对性的本质及其今天的变化感兴趣的人。
What is Sexual Capital?
This book does to sex what other sociologists did to culture: it shows that sex, no longer defined by religion, now plays a role in the economy and can yield tangible benefits in the realms of money, status, and occupation. How do people accumulate sexual capital, and what are the returns for investing money, time, knowledge, and energy in establishing and enhancing our sexual selves?
Dana Kaplan and Eva Illouz disentangle the current cultural politics of heterosexual life, arguing that sex – that messy amalgam of sexual affects and experiences – has increasingly assumed an economic character. Some may opt for plastic surgery to beautify their face or body, while others may consume popular sex advice or attend seduction classes. Beyond particular practices such as these, the authors trace an emerging form of “neoliberal” sexual capital, which is the ability to glean self-appreciation from sexual encounters and to use this self-value to foster employability, as exemplified by Silicon Valley sex parties.
This highly original book will appeal to students and scholars in sociology, anthropology, gender studies, and cultural studies and to anyone interested in the nature of sex and how it is changing today.
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