Once upon a time, I
spent two weeks in Edinburgh, hanging out in a sprawling hostel, getting yelled
at by teary-eyed Bulgarians about my president’s foreign policy (I cried, too!)
and learning that “Edinburgh” is pronounced “Ed-in-bur-uh.”
Though I spent quite a bit
of time in Edinburgh pubs, I never learned what “social capital” was, nor
how can it could get me laid. “History of
Single Life” author Ken
Mondschein did:
"Social
capital" — a term invented by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu —
doesn't only refer to money, though anyone familiar with the phenomenon of the
"trophy wife" knows that money helps. Rather, it incorporates a host
of other factors such as physical attractiveness, command of language and
culture, and education. In other words, sexiness directly corresponds to the
number and the type of resources you have at your disposal — and thus, how
likely you are to ensure the survival of your offspring.
See
what trophy
wives, pool boys,
and Edinburgh
have in common, right here.
