Discipline and Desire in the Pursuit of Physical Capital

Abstract

In this chapter Ryan focuses on the role physical and erotic capital plays in the lives of male sex workers. The possession of smooth, muscular bodies correspond to a standardised, global template in many European societies and are deployed for social and economic gain. Drawing from Bourdieu (1986), Ryan illustrates how the body has a symbolic value and communicates discipline, taste and class location to others. The chapter shows how sex workers navigate body projects like the gym and how they provide an interface with their digital identities.