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Tales from the Field - Beauty capital

How does being beautiful help you get ahead? Laurie talks to two social scientists who have studied the economic benefits of good looks and charm.

Being beautiful apparently brings big dividends: "The total effect of facial attractiveness on income is roughly equal to that of educational qualifications or self-confidence", claims Catherine Hakim in her new book Honey Money. Perhaps it's time to give up on exams and spend more time at the spa because Laurie also hears from the U.S. economist Daniel Hamermesh that being beautiful can greatly inflate your pay packet.
Also on the programme, Louise Westmarland talks about some of the extraordinary experiences that criminologists have faced whilst researching crime.
Producer: Charlie Taylor.

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28 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Wed 14 Sep 2011 16:00
  • Mon 19 Sep 2011 00:15

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