‘I have bills to pay!’ Sugar dating in British higher education institutions

Abstract

The increased participation in the UK of university students in activities that are liminal to the sex industry such as ‘sugar dating’, defined as the transactional relationship between a younger woman (Sugar Baby) and an older, affluent man (Sugar Daddy), is under-researched. This article draws from seven interviews conducted with university Sugar Babies regarding the factors that influenced their decision to sugar date. Interviewees systematically described the lack of economic capital to cover basic expenses–rent, bills, or food–as a critical factor, despite having acquired a student loan. Other factors such as the expectation of ‘fun’, the acquisition of symbolic capital, and the forecast of enjoying a superior lifestyle were also noted. The findings suggest that the economic context of female students in the UK should be investigated to offer economic alternatives to gendered sexual activities such as sugar dating.