Sociologus 65 (2015) 2 Sociologus, Volume 65, Issue 2, p. 1 – 28 Duncker & Humblot, Berlin H:\HEINR\Zeitschriften\Sociologus\2015-2\indd\Waters.indd 20.05.15 1 von 28 Erotic Capital as Societal Elevator: Pursuing Feminine Attractiveness in the Contemporary Mongolian Global(ising) Economy By Hedwig Amelia Waters* Abstract Inspired by Bourdieu’s forms of capital, theorists have utilized the additional category of erotic capital as a descriptor of the increasing importance of physical appearance to economic mobility. Although this phenomenon also exists in Mon- golia, the pursuit of corporeal attractiveness only depicts one prevalent erotic field highly conceptually intertwined with values of market and modernity. Ad- ditionally, the prevalence of this belief in the emancipatory power of attractive- ness also overlaps with indigenous concepts of fortune (hishig) and reputation (nerelkhüü), which most likely facilitated its integration in the Mongolian con- text. As a result, individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds pursue a standard of beauty associated with the wealthy and successful. In particular, women, who have been particularly hard hit by the vagaries of the current Mon- golian economy, have increasingly turned to physical appearance capitalization as a means to safeguard their economic and social standing. Keywords: Cosmetic Surgery, Body Commodification, Erotic Capital, Mongolia 1. Introduction When I first traversed the Mongolian Gobi Desert to live with a semi- nomadic pastoralist family in the summer of 2011, I was laden with stereotypes from the city. Urban Mongolian friends had warned me about the unpredictable lifestyle and unkempt individuals I was to encounter, which was particularly relevant for my proposed research on contemporary concepts of feminine beauty. Yet, in addition to the expected arduous work, weather fickleness, and warm hospitality, * 3 Victora Road, Flat C, London N43SH, United Kingdom. · E-Mail: hedwig. waters.14@ucl.ac.uk. Hedwig Amelia Waters is a PhD candidate in anthropology in the ERC-funded “Emerging Subjects of the New Economy: Tracing Economic Growth in Mongolia” research project under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Empson at the University College London. The writing phase of this paper was funded by ERC-2013-CoG, 615785, Emerging Subjects.