Between lookism and bodily capital: Understanding female personal trainers’ appearance in occupational socialization

Abstract

Witnessing that the appearance of female trainers has been regarded as a potential cause of appearance-based discrimination and a source of bodily capital, this study examined the influence of female trainers’ appearance on the process of occupational socialization. We invited eight research participants for in-depth interviews, including female trainers, Pilates instructors, and male fitness center owners with training experience. We followed the grounded theory analysis method to derive meaningful insights from the collected data. The results indicate that the physical appearance of female trainers had various effects on their perceived value as bodily capital during the preparatory and adaptation periods. However, it became a constraining factor during the conflict period as they experienced bodily changes in their late 20s. Eventually, their physical appearance hindered female trainers from maintaining their careers and decreased the percentage of female trainers who reached maturity period. Ultimately, the culture of lookism had a mixed impact on women's occupational socialization, revealing its discriminatory undertones. Although some women profited from the culture, lookism disadvantaged others. Finally, we suggested that a possible solution would be the enactment of the anti-discrimination law for better protection.