Exploring the impact of male and female facial attractiveness on occupational prestige

Summary

Traditionally, social scientists have studied socio-economic
inequalities mainly by looking at the impact of individuals’ economic,
cultural and social capital. Some scholars have recently argued that
other types of resources, such as genetic and erotic capital, may also
play a role in the processes that lead to the formation of social
inequalities. Using a unique longitudinal dataset, the Wisconsin
Longitudinal Study, this paper explores the impact of facial
attractiveness on people's socio-economic standing over the life course.
Methodologically, we employ a set of multilevel Growth Curve Models.
Two findings clearly stand out from our analysis. Firstly, facial
attractiveness does matter, both for men and women, and secondly, its
impact is constant over the employment history.