Accumulation and Normative Standards Utilization of ‘Aesthetic Capital’ According to Gender

Physical appearance as a form of capital has been the focus of sociologists in recent years because "aesthetic capital," like other forms of capital, can be accumulated and utilized in social exchanges. The general purpose of this research was to collect information about the dimensions and meaning of appearance, and to do so, the questionnaire tool was used. The present research participants included all people between the ages of 15 and 60 in a statistical sample of 384 people in Ahvaz City. In this regard, statistical measures for both the "accumulation" and "utilization " dimensions of "aesthetic capital" were studied based on a parallel survey design using ordinal logistic regression (o-logit model). The findings showed that there are double standards based on specific norms regarding "accumulation" and "utilization " of "aesthetic capital." Furthermore, the existence of double normative standards depends on the "context" of society, in a way that these standards in "accumulation of capital" mean more approval of women's behavior, while the double standard in "utilization of capital" means more approval of men’s behavior. As a result, aesthetic capital, as something that depends on the context, regulates gender norms.