Clara Coria - The Secret Sex of Money

THE SECRET SEX

OF

MONEY

Forms of female dependence

ANDROGYNOUS 21

© Clara Coria

First published in Argentina in 1986

Original title:

El sexo oculto del dinero -

Formas de la dependencia femenina

First published in English with the title:

The secret sex of money -

Forms of female dependence

© Pensódromo S.L., 2021

English translation copyright © Mark Lodge

Editor: Henry Odell - henry@pensodromo.com

Cover design: Cristina Martínez Balmaceda - Pensódromo

ISBN: 978-84-124690-0-4

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being impose on the subsequent purchaser.

Work published under the “Sur” Support Program to Translations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic.

Obra editada en el marco del Programa “Sur” de Apoyo a las Traducciones del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto de la República Argentina.

Cover

Title Page THE SECRET SEX OF MONEY Forms of female dependence ANDROGYNOUS 21

Credits Credits © Clara Coria First published in Argentina in 1986 Original title: El sexo oculto del dinero - Formas de la dependencia femenina First published in English with the title: The secret sex of money - Forms of female dependence © Pensódromo S.L., 2021 English translation copyright © Mark Lodge Editor: Henry Odell - henry@pensodromo.com Cover design: Cristina Martínez Balmaceda - Pensódromo ISBN: 978-84-124690-0-4 This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being impose on the subsequent purchaser. Work published under the “Sur” Support Program to Translations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic. Obra editada en el marco del Programa “Sur” de Apoyo a las Traducciones del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto de la República Argentina.

Editor’s prologue Editor’s prologue Thirty-five years have passed, indeed, and during this time, the evolution of society seems to have become increasingly bent on “money” as the leitmotiv for our existences and, along with it – despite the efforts in changing attitudes – its control over the relationships between people, both in the “public” and “private” realms, has been reinforced. What leads a publisher to publish a book thirty-five years years after the date of its first publication, with approximately ten editions and reprints (in Spanish) since then, and to publish it in English for the first time? We have decided to publish this book by Clara Coria because we believe that the main thrusts of her analysis are still amazingly pertinent. Her premises on the subject are still indispensable for all who are willing to rethink and critically analyze the role they play in the context of their family and society as a whole. The dawn of the 21st century brought with it the loss of certainties, the decline of the great collective projects with the crisis of previous utopias (both for Left and the Right) and the birth of new ways of seeing the world. A focus geared towards the personal level, social and economic success, dominates current society, which is immersed in a deep crisis. In answer to this, different voices, from men and women, rise up to speak about the need to reclaim the essential values of the human being. Our prevailing culture has allowed for the emergence of a new model of man and woman that implies a break with the traditional model. The book by Clara Coria we present to you is, precisely, one of the parts contributing to the emergence of this new model. These contents need to be read with an open mind, a sincere and self-critical attitude and a willingness to take up the difficult task of questioning oneself and shaking deep-rooted certainties in our way of life. We are publishing this book as a part of a corpus we have decided to call Androgynous 21, a system of related published materials from which to promote the voices of men and women who advocate a greater balance between the feminine and the masculine in modern society. We hope that both this book and its proposal interest you. Henry Odell

As a prologue

25 years later

Introduction

Origins

Referential framework

The contents

Some important clarifications

Bibliographic References

I. Women’s economic dependence

Economic dependence:

The phantasm of prostitution

Money and sex: a fundamental transgression (modesty, shame and guilt)

Bibliographic References

II. The benefits of economic dependence in women

The primary gain: anxiety versus freedom experienced as transgression

The secondary gains of economic dependence

Protection: a seductive siren’s call…

A suggestive triad: “small” money, restricted space and indiscriminate time

Bibliographic References

III. Love and money: maternal altruism versus manly speculation?

A female paradigm: the maternal ideal

“Mr Money is a mighty gentleman”

Professional fees or the money “that is charged”. A difficult dilemma to solve: bad mother or public woman?

Bibliographic References

IV. Money in a marital partnership

A partnership in which some people are more equal than others

“Big” money and “small” money

Money for dependence

Bibliographic References

V. A particular distribution of power: The kids are mine and the money is yours

The “queen” of the home

Are children, as instruments of power, equal to money?

The myth of the “hidden power”

Bibliographic References

VI. Men and the accumulation of money

Money, an indicator of masculinity?

“Time is money”… a white lie?

Bibliographic References

VII. Some considerations on money and its meaning in the context of psychological treatments

Do therapists have the same attitude towards the economic dependence of their male patients as they do towards their female patients?

Female (economic) dependence in psychotherapeutic treatments of women

Suggestions for a possible alternative for tackling women’s economic dependence

Bibliographic References

Further reading

About the author

Notes

Thirty-five years have passed, indeed, and during this time, the evolution of society seems to have become increasingly bent on “money” as the leitmotiv for our existences and, along with it – despite the efforts in changing attitudes – its control over the relationships between people, both in the “public” and “private” realms, has been reinforced.

What leads a publisher to publish a book thirty-five years years after the date of its first publication, with approximately ten editions and reprints (in Spanish) since then, and to publish it in English for the first time?