Colour of Life Achievements: Historical and Media Influence of Identity Formation Based on Skin Colour in South Asia

Hussein, Nazia

doi:10.1080/07256868.2010.491275

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Indian consumers are led to believe that fairer skin will provide them with higher status, and advertisements serve to reinforce this notion ( 21 , 22 ). Phillips ( 23 ) describes the societal equation of fairness with beauty and the accompanying negative connotation of lack of beauty associated with darker skin color in India.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skin Color, Cultural Capital, and Beauty Products: An Investigation of the Use of Skin Fairness Products in Mumbai, India

Shroff

Diedrichs

Craddock

2018

Front. Public Health

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The use of skin fairness products that frequently contain toxic ingredients is associated with significant adverse health side effects. Due to the high prevalence of use in Asian and African countries, skin fairness product use is recognized as a growing public health concern. The multi-million-dollar skin fairness product industry has also been criticized for perpetuating racism and social inequalities by reinforcing beliefs about the benefits of skin fairness for cultural capital. No quantitative studies have assessed people’s beliefs about fairness and reasons for using or not using these products in India, one of the largest global markets for skin fairness products. The current study explored skin fairness product use among 1,992 women and men aged 16–60 years in the city of Mumbai, India using a self-report questionnaire. A total of 37.6% of the sample reported currently using skin fairness products, with women being two times more likely to use these products. Among current users, 17% reported past experiences of adverse side effects, and “Media/TV/Adverts” were the most common prompts for using fairness products, followed by “Friends” and “Family.” Men were significantly more likely than women to endorse beliefs about fairness being more attractive and were more likely to perceive family and peers as viewing fairness as beneficial for cultural capital. There were no differences between women and men currently using products in their desire to look as fair as media celebrities. Among non-users, women were significantly more likely than men to report concerns about product efficacy and side effects as reasons for non-use, while men were significantly more likely to report socioeconomic reasons for non-use. Implications of these findings are discussed in light of growing public health concerns about the use of fairness products, and potential for advocacy and public health interventions to address the use of skin fairness products.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skin Color, Cultural Capital, and Beauty Products: An Investigation of the Use of Skin Fairness Products in Mumbai, India

Shroff

Diedrichs

Craddock

2018

Front. Public Health

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“…skin were associated with class and economic privilege. Hussein (2010) furthers the understanding of the historical construction of colourism .…”

Section: Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…, :' " colourism through the use of these products is the continuous exposure to white ideals of beauty from Western dominant discourse. Hussein (2010) elaborates on this stating that:…”

Section: Marketing Whitenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The legacy of colonialism and imperial ideology has had a significant impact on the way colour is negotiated within South Asian communities. Hussein (2010) describes the discourse throughout South Asia that has created a "colour divide", whereby light skin is associated with prosperity, beauty, success and status, whereas dark skin is constructed as the binary opposite.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…marketing of skin lightening products). Hussein (2010) states that "this yearning for lighter skin can be seen as a legacy of colonial inter-group racism transformed into intra-group racism in postcolonial , '…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

South Asian Youth in Canada : Young Women Negotiating Mainstream Representations of Colour

Saini¹

2021

Preprint

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South Asian women in Canada negotiate mainstream representations of skin colour, in a context where light skin is systemically privileged through marketing “whiteness” as a desirable and attainable ideal for beauty and success. A semiotic analysis of two web spaces target at young, South Asian woman in the West will be undertaken, to reveal the constructions of colour which favour dominant ideology. However, it can also be seen that such spaces serve as a means to challenge hegemonic constructions and provide a platform for South Asian visibility in the mainstream. In considering colourism within the South Asian context, it is imperative to reflect on systemic power imbalances and colonial history, which have shaped the experiences of South Asian communities. Key words: South Asia; Gender; Colourism; Youth; Semiotic analysis; Media representations.

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From Race to a New World Order

Hall

2021

The Historical Globalization of Colorism

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Colour of Life Achievements: Historical and Media Influence of Identity Formation Based on Skin Colour in South Asia

Cited by 21 publications

References 8 publications

Skin Color, Cultural Capital, and Beauty Products: An Investigation of the Use of Skin Fairness Products in Mumbai, India

Skin Color, Cultural Capital, and Beauty Products: An Investigation of the Use of Skin Fairness Products in Mumbai, India

South Asian Youth in Canada : Young Women Negotiating Mainstream Representations of Colour

From Race to a New World Order

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