UBC Wiki - User contributions [en]

User talk:ImranRai

2019-11-29T05:23:58Z

ImranRai: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:User talk:ImranRai/Topic/Page

2019-11-29T05:23:58Z

ImranRai: New thread: Topic/Page

Hi Gabe,
I found your topic super interesting and organized! I like how you focused on gender, institutions, and labour. This made your page very readable and comprehensible. I definitely learned a lot and appreciated that you were concise and direct with your topic choice.

Thread:Talk:International Shadeism in India/Amazing Page!/reply (2)

2019-11-29T05:19:53Z

ImranRai: Reply to Amazing Page!

Thanks Gabe! Interesting overlap in culture, I am glad you shared. Looking forward to reading yours as well.

Thread:Talk:International Shadeism in India/Amazing Page!/reply

2019-11-29T05:19:52Z

ImranRai: Reply to Amazing Page!

Thanks Gabe! Interesting overlap in culture, I am glad you shared. Looking forward to reading yours as well.

Thread:Talk:International Shadeism in India/Great Content/reply

2019-11-27T23:18:17Z

ImranRai: Reply to Great Content

Hi Mikayla! Thank you so much for catching that error. I had proofread it and completely dismissed that. It was supposed to be a quote, so I appreciate you bringing my attention to it. I am glad you liked my page.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-27T23:14:45Z

ImranRai: end quote addition (from suggestion)

[[File:Colourism.jpg|thumb|This image is a representation of the progression of skin-lightening. It has been used in ''Fair & Lovely'' advertisements and is present in many articles analyzing the idea of colourism and discrimination.]]
'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination discrimination] for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
[[File:ShadeismColonialism.jpg|thumb|[http://rabaah.com/colourism-and-shadeism.html "The colourism] has become a part of the language. In Urdu and Hindi, the words for light skin are ''saaf rang'' meaning clean/pure whereas dark skin to referred to as ''mayla'' which translates into dirty. Light skin is so valued that it is the first 'quality' sought in a woman. Who set this standard?"]]
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_India European colonization] was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is a goal that is commonly pursued through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous”<ref name=":2">Li, E. P., Min, H. J., Belk, R. W., & Kimura, J. (2008). Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures. ''Advances in Consumer Research, 35'', 1.</ref>. Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire<ref name=":2" />. Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race Aryan Caucasians] (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes<ref name=":3">Nadeem, S. (2014). Fair and anxious: On mimicry and skin-lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 20''(2-3), 224-238. doi:10.1080/13504630.2014.881282</ref>. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted”<ref name=":3" /> . The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin<ref name=":4">''Paul, A. (2016). BEYOND THE PALE?: Skinderella stories and colourism in india. Ideaz, 14, 133.''</ref>. In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2713291?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents George Lipsitz](1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness' as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency<ref>Lipsitz, G., & ProQuest (Firm). (2018). ''The possessive investment in whiteness: How white people profit from identity politics'' (Twentieth anniversary ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press.</ref>. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun<ref name=":4" />.

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Shulman Alexandra Shulman], has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
[[File:Fair&Lovely.jpg|thumb|'''"[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely]''' is a skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the market in India in 1975. Fair & Lovely is available in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other parts of Asia and is also exported to other parts of the world such as the West, where it is sold in Asian supermarkets."]]
[https://www.unilever.ca/ Unilever] is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise.

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population<ref name=":4" />. Historical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion<ref name=":3" />. Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination”<ref name=":3" />. Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)”<ref name=":3" /> . Although the particular origins of colourism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE<ref name=":3" />.

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fuelled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive”<ref name=":5">Olumide, Y. M. (2010). Use of skin lightening creams. ''BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341''(nov23 2), c6102-c6102. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6102</ref> . This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin”<ref name=":5" />. Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” <ref name=":5" />.

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”<ref name=":6">Tse, T. W. (2010). Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop? ''Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 21''(5), 272-275. doi:10.3109/09546630903341945</ref>. In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful <ref name=":6" />. HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyper-pigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” <ref name=":6" />. Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually"<ref name=":6" />.

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States”<ref name=":7">Shrestha, S. (2013). Threatening consumption: Managing US imperial anxieties in representations of skin lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 19''(1), 104-119. doi:10.1080/13504630.2012.753347</ref> . The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”<ref name=":7" /> while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/colour-based differences”<ref name=":7" /> . Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence”<ref name=":7" />.

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-23T19:43:34Z

ImranRai: Spelling and functional errors.

[[File:Colourism.jpg|thumb|This image is a representation of the progression of skin-lightening. It has been used in ''Fair & Lovely'' advertisements and is present in many articles analyzing the idea of colourism and discrimination.]]
'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination discrimination] for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
[[File:ShadeismColonialism.jpg|thumb|[http://rabaah.com/colourism-and-shadeism.html "The colourism] has become a part of the language. In Urdu and Hindi, the words for light skin are ''saaf rang'' meaning clean/pure whereas dark skin to referred to as ''mayla'' which translates into dirty. Light skin is so valued that it is the first 'quality' sought in a woman. Who set this standard?"]]
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_India European colonization] was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is a goal that is commonly pursued through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous”<ref name=":2">Li, E. P., Min, H. J., Belk, R. W., & Kimura, J. (2008). Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures. ''Advances in Consumer Research, 35'', 1.</ref>. Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire<ref name=":2" />. Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race Aryan Caucasians] (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes<ref name=":3">Nadeem, S. (2014). Fair and anxious: On mimicry and skin-lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 20''(2-3), 224-238. doi:10.1080/13504630.2014.881282</ref>. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted”<ref name=":3" /> . The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin<ref name=":4">''Paul, A. (2016). BEYOND THE PALE?: Skinderella stories and colourism in india. Ideaz, 14, 133.''</ref>. In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2713291?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents George Lipsitz](1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness' as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency<ref>Lipsitz, G., & ProQuest (Firm). (2018). ''The possessive investment in whiteness: How white people profit from identity politics'' (Twentieth anniversary ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press.</ref>. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun<ref name=":4" />.

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Shulman Alexandra Shulman], has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
[[File:Fair&Lovely.jpg|thumb|'''"[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely]''' is a skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the market in India in 1975. Fair & Lovely is available in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other parts of Asia and is also exported to other parts of the world such as the West, where it is sold in Asian supermarkets."]]
[https://www.unilever.ca/ Unilever] is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise.

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population<ref name=":4" />. Historical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion<ref name=":3" />. Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination”<ref name=":3" />. Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)”<ref name=":3" /> . Although the particular origins of colourism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE<ref name=":3" />.

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fuelled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive”<ref name=":5">Olumide, Y. M. (2010). Use of skin lightening creams. ''BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341''(nov23 2), c6102-c6102. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6102</ref> . This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin”<ref name=":5" />. Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” <ref name=":5" />.

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”<ref name=":6">Tse, T. W. (2010). Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop? ''Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 21''(5), 272-275. doi:10.3109/09546630903341945</ref>. In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful <ref name=":6" />. HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyper-pigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” <ref name=":6" />. Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually<ref name=":6" />.

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States”<ref name=":7">Shrestha, S. (2013). Threatening consumption: Managing US imperial anxieties in representations of skin lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 19''(1), 104-119. doi:10.1080/13504630.2012.753347</ref> . The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”<ref name=":7" /> while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/colour-based differences”<ref name=":7" /> . Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence”<ref name=":7" />.

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-22T05:17:11Z

ImranRai: added external links

[[File:Colourism.jpg|thumb|This image is a representation of the progression of skin-lightening. It has been used in ''Fair & Lovely'' advertisements and is present in many articles analyzing the idea of colourism and discrimination.]]
'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination discrimination] for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
[[File:ShadeismColonialism.jpg|thumb|[http://rabaah.com/colourism-and-shadeism.html "The colourism] has become a part of the language. In Urdu and Hindi, the words for light skin are ''saaf rang'' meaning clean/pure whereas dark skin to referred to as ''mayla'' which translates into dirty. Light skin is so valued that it is the first 'quality' sought in a woman. Who set this standard?"]]
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_India European colonization] was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous”<ref name=":2">Li, E. P., Min, H. J., Belk, R. W., & Kimura, J. (2008). Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures. ''Advances in Consumer Research, 35'', 1.</ref>. Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire<ref name=":2" />. Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race Aryan Caucasians] (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes<ref name=":3">Nadeem, S. (2014). Fair and anxious: On mimicry and skin-lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 20''(2-3), 224-238. doi:10.1080/13504630.2014.881282</ref>. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted”<ref name=":3" /> . The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin<ref name=":4">''Paul, A. (2016). BEYOND THE PALE?: Skinderella stories and colourism in india. Ideaz, 14, 133.''</ref>. In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2713291?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents George Lipsitz](1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness' as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency<ref>Lipsitz, G., & ProQuest (Firm). (2018). ''The possessive investment in whiteness: How white people profit from identity politics'' (Twentieth anniversary ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press.</ref>. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun<ref name=":4" />.

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Shulman Alexandra Shulman], has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
[[File:Fair&Lovely.jpg|thumb|'''"[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely]''' is a skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the market in India in 1975. Fair & Lovely is available in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other parts of Asia and is also exported to other parts of the world such as the West, where it is sold in Asian supermarkets."]]
[https://www.unilever.ca/ Unilever] is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise.

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population<ref name=":4" />. Historical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion<ref name=":3" />. Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination”<ref name=":3" />. Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)”<ref name=":3" /> . Although the particular origins of colourism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE<ref name=":3" />.

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fuelled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive”<ref name=":5">Olumide, Y. M. (2010). Use of skin lightening creams. ''BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341''(nov23 2), c6102-c6102. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6102</ref> . This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin”<ref name=":5" />. Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” <ref name=":5" />.

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”<ref name=":6">Tse, T. W. (2010). Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop? ''Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 21''(5), 272-275. doi:10.3109/09546630903341945</ref>. In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful <ref name=":6" />. HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyper-pigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” <ref name=":6" />. Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually<ref name=":6" />.

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States”<ref name=":7">Shrestha, S. (2013). Threatening consumption: Managing US imperial anxieties in representations of skin lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 19''(1), 104-119. doi:10.1080/13504630.2012.753347</ref> . The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”<ref name=":7" /> while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/colour-based differences”<ref name=":7" /> . Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence”<ref name=":7" />.

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-19T21:13:47Z

ImranRai: added external link describing Colonial India.

[[File:Colourism.jpg|thumb|This image is a representation of the progression of skin-lightening. It has been used in ''Fair & Lovely'' advertisements and is present in many articles analyzing the idea of colourism and discrimination.]]
'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of [[discrimination]] for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
[[File:ShadeismColonialism.jpg|thumb|[http://rabaah.com/colourism-and-shadeism.html "The colourism] has become a part of the language. In Urdu and Hindi, the words for light skin are ''saaf rang'' meaning clean/pure whereas dark skin to referred to as ''mayla'' which translates into dirty. Light skin is so valued that it is the first 'quality' sought in a woman. Who set this standard?"]]
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_India European colonization] was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous”<ref name=":2">Li, E. P., Min, H. J., Belk, R. W., & Kimura, J. (2008). Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures. ''Advances in Consumer Research, 35'', 1.</ref>. Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire<ref name=":2" />. Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes<ref name=":3">Nadeem, S. (2014). Fair and anxious: On mimicry and skin-lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 20''(2-3), 224-238. doi:10.1080/13504630.2014.881282</ref>. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted”<ref name=":3" /> . The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin<ref name=":4">''Paul, A. (2016). BEYOND THE PALE?: Skinderella stories and colourism in india. Ideaz, 14, 133.''</ref>. In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2713291?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents George Lipsitz](1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness' as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency<ref>Lipsitz, G., & ProQuest (Firm). (2018). ''The possessive investment in whiteness: How white people profit from identity politics'' (Twentieth anniversary ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press.</ref>. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun<ref name=":4" />.

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Shulman Alexandra Shulman], has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
[[File:Fair&Lovely.jpg|thumb|'''"[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely]''' is a skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the market in India in 1975. Fair & Lovely is available in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other parts of Asia and is also exported to other parts of the world such as the West, where it is sold in Asian supermarkets."]]
[https://www.unilever.ca/ Unilever] is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise.

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population<ref name=":4" />. Historical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion<ref name=":3" />. Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination”<ref name=":3" />. Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)”<ref name=":3" /> . Although the particular origins of colourism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE<ref name=":3" />.

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fuelled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive”<ref name=":5">Olumide, Y. M. (2010). Use of skin lightening creams. ''BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341''(nov23 2), c6102-c6102. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6102</ref> . This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin”<ref name=":5" />. Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” <ref name=":5" />.

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”<ref name=":6">Tse, T. W. (2010). Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop? ''Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 21''(5), 272-275. doi:10.3109/09546630903341945</ref>. In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful <ref name=":6" />. HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyper-pigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” <ref name=":6" />. Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually<ref name=":6" />.

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States”<ref name=":7">Shrestha, S. (2013). Threatening consumption: Managing US imperial anxieties in representations of skin lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 19''(1), 104-119. doi:10.1080/13504630.2012.753347</ref> . The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”<ref name=":7" /> while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/colour-based differences”<ref name=":7" /> . Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence”<ref name=":7" />.

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

User talk:JennyZhang1

2019-11-18T22:50:40Z

ImranRai: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:User talk:JennyZhang1/Example

2019-11-18T22:50:40Z

ImranRai: New thread: Example

I appreciate how you used the example of Juno as we discussed this in-class discussion. Your page is coming together really nicely! Looking forward to seeing the final product!

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-16T00:31:06Z

ImranRai: Added citations and two external links.

[[File:Colourism.jpg|thumb|This image is a representation of the progression of skin-lightening. It has been used in ''Fair & Lovely'' advertisements and is present in many articles analyzing the idea of colourism and discrimination.]]
'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of [[discrimination]] for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
[[File:ShadeismColonialism.jpg|thumb|[http://rabaah.com/colourism-and-shadeism.html "The colourism] has become a part of the language. In Urdu and Hindi, the words for light skin are ''saaf rang'' meaning clean/pure whereas dark skin to referred to as ''mayla'' which translates into dirty. Light skin is so valued that it is the first 'quality' sought in a woman. Who set this standard?"]]
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous”<ref name=":2">Li, E. P., Min, H. J., Belk, R. W., & Kimura, J. (2008). Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures. ''Advances in Consumer Research, 35'', 1.</ref>. Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire<ref name=":2" />. Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes<ref name=":3">Nadeem, S. (2014). Fair and anxious: On mimicry and skin-lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 20''(2-3), 224-238. doi:10.1080/13504630.2014.881282</ref>. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted”<ref name=":3" /> . The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin<ref name=":4">''Paul, A. (2016). BEYOND THE PALE?: Skinderella stories and colourism in india. Ideaz, 14, 133.''</ref>. In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2713291?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents George Lipsitz](1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness' as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency<ref>Lipsitz, G., & ProQuest (Firm). (2018). ''The possessive investment in whiteness: How white people profit from identity politics'' (Twentieth anniversary ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press.</ref>. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun<ref name=":4" />.

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Shulman Alexandra Shulman], has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
[[File:Fair&Lovely.jpg|thumb|'''"[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely]''' is a skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the market in India in 1975. Fair & Lovely is available in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other parts of Asia and is also exported to other parts of the world such as the West, where it is sold in Asian supermarkets."]]
[https://www.unilever.ca/ Unilever] is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise.

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population<ref name=":4" />. Historical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion<ref name=":3" />. Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination”<ref name=":3" />. Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)”<ref name=":3" /> . Although the particular origins of colourism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE<ref name=":3" />.

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fuelled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive”<ref name=":5">Olumide, Y. M. (2010). Use of skin lightening creams. ''BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341''(nov23 2), c6102-c6102. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6102</ref> . This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin”<ref name=":5" />. Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” <ref name=":5" />.

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”<ref name=":6">Tse, T. W. (2010). Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop? ''Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 21''(5), 272-275. doi:10.3109/09546630903341945</ref>. In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful <ref name=":6" />. HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyper-pigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” <ref name=":6" />. Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually<ref name=":6" />.

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States”<ref name=":7">Shrestha, S. (2013). Threatening consumption: Managing US imperial anxieties in representations of skin lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 19''(1), 104-119. doi:10.1080/13504630.2012.753347</ref> . The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”<ref name=":7" /> while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/colour-based differences”<ref name=":7" /> . Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence”<ref name=":7" />.

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

User talk:HyungminChung

2019-11-15T21:13:11Z

ImranRai: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:User talk:HyungminChung/Topic

2019-11-15T21:13:11Z

ImranRai: New thread: Topic

I really appreciate your focus on location for this topic. Since abortion is an artificial removal of a fetus, it has a lot of different standpoints and is susceptible to major opinions. I believe that it may be the location, culture that shapes norms surrounding abortion and laws that affect the construction of it as a controversial practice. Perhaps you could talk about protests and backlash on the issue? or even explain how it is framed and constructed in the areas you chose? Good luck! Looking forward to seeing what you put together.

Talk:Discrimination upheld by the Canadian medical system

2019-11-15T06:18:18Z

ImranRai: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:Talk:Discrimination upheld by the Canadian medical system/Topic

2019-11-15T06:18:17Z

ImranRai: New thread: Topic

Wow! Very bold topic. I am super excited to see what you produce. As a Canadian, I feel as I have a very bias perspective when it comes to our medical system. Goodluck!

User talk:MitchellRobinson

2019-11-15T06:15:55Z

ImranRai: Talk page autocreated when first thread was posted

Thread:User talk:MitchellRobinson/Page editing

2019-11-15T06:15:55Z

ImranRai: New thread: Page editing

Hi Mitchell! I love your topic... as you start adding more content, I think some pictures and instances would really strengthen your page. I am looking forward to seeing what you put together. Excellent choice in the topic!

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-14T19:40:14Z

ImranRai: Added citations and imagery.

[[File:Colourism.jpg|thumb|This image is a representation of the progression of skin-lightening. It has been used in ''Fair & Lovely'' advertisements and is present in many articles analyzing the idea of colourism and discrimination.]]
'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of [[discrimination]] for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
[[File:ShadeismColonialism.jpg|thumb|[http://rabaah.com/colourism-and-shadeism.html "The colourism] has become a part of the language. In Urdu and Hindi, the words for light skin are ''saaf rang'' meaning clean/pure whereas dark skin to referred to as ''mayla'' which translates into dirty. Light skin is so valued that it is the first 'quality' sought in a woman. Who set this standard?"]]
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous”<ref name=":2">Li, E. P., Min, H. J., Belk, R. W., & Kimura, J. (2008). Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures. ''Advances in Consumer Research, 35'', 1.</ref>. Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire<ref name=":2" />. Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes<ref name=":3">Nadeem, S. (2014). Fair and anxious: On mimicry and skin-lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 20''(2-3), 224-238. doi:10.1080/13504630.2014.881282</ref>. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted”<ref name=":3" /> . The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin<ref name=":4">''Paul, A. (2016). BEYOND THE PALE?: Skinderella stories and colourism in india. Ideaz, 14, 133.''</ref>. In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2713291?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents George Lipsitz](1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness' as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency<ref>Lipsitz, G., & ProQuest (Firm). (2018). ''The possessive investment in whiteness: How white people profit from identity politics'' (Twentieth anniversary ed.). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press.</ref>. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun<ref name=":4" />.

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
[[File:Fair&Lovely.jpg|thumb|'''"[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely]''' is a skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the market in India in 1975. Fair & Lovely is available in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other parts of Asia and is also exported to other parts of the world such as the West, where it is sold in Asian supermarkets."]]
Unilever is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise.

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population<ref name=":4" />. HIstorical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion (Nadeem 2014, 225). Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Although the particular origins of colorism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE (Nadeem 2014, 226).

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fueled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive”<ref name=":5">Olumide, Y. M. (2010). Use of skin lightening creams. ''BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341''(nov23 2), c6102-c6102. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6102</ref> . This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin”<ref name=":5" />. Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” <ref name=":5" />.

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”<ref name=":6">Tse, T. W. (2010). Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop? ''Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 21''(5), 272-275. doi:10.3109/09546630903341945</ref>. In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful <ref name=":6" />. HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyperpigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” <ref name=":6" />. Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually<ref name=":6" />.

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States”<ref name=":7">Shrestha, S. (2013). Threatening consumption: Managing US imperial anxieties in representations of skin lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 19''(1), 104-119. doi:10.1080/13504630.2012.753347</ref> . The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”<ref name=":7" /> while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/color-based differences”<ref name=":7" /> . Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence”<ref name=":7" />.

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

File:ShadeismColonialism.jpg

2019-11-14T19:36:28Z

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=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=The colorism has become a part of the language. In Urdu and Hindi, the words for light skin are saaf rang meaning clean/pure whereas dark skin to referred to as mayla which translates into dirty. Light skin is so valued that it is the first 'quality' sought in a woman. Who set this standard?}}
|date=2019-11-14
|source=http://rabaah.com/colourism-and-shadeism.html
|author=Rabaah.com
|permission=
|other versions=
}}

=={{int:license-header}}==
{{cc-by-sa-4.0}}

[[Category:Social Media]]

File:Fair&Lovely.jpg

2019-11-14T19:31:21Z

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=={{int:filedesc}}==
{{Information
|description={{en|1=Fair & Lovely is a skin-lightening cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the market in India in 1975.}}
|date=2019-11-14
|source=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics)
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[[Category:Social Media]]

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-14T06:22:58Z

ImranRai: Link added

'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of [[discrimination]] for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous”<ref name=":2">Li, E. P., Min, H. J., Belk, R. W., & Kimura, J. (2008). Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures. ''Advances in Consumer Research, 35'', 1.</ref>. Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire<ref name=":2" />. Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes<ref name=":3">Nadeem, S. (2014). Fair and anxious: On mimicry and skin-lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 20''(2-3), 224-238. doi:10.1080/13504630.2014.881282</ref>. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted”<ref name=":3" /> . The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin<ref name=":4">''Paul, A. (2016). BEYOND THE PALE?: Skinderella stories and colourism in india. Ideaz, 14, 133.''</ref>. In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. Lipsitz(1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness” as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun<ref name=":4" />.

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
Unilever is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population<ref name=":4" />. HIstorical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion (Nadeem 2014, 225). Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Although the particular origins of colorism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE (Nadeem 2014, 226).

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fueled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive”<ref name=":5">Olumide, Y. M. (2010). Use of skin lightening creams. ''BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341''(nov23 2), c6102-c6102. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6102</ref> . This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin”<ref name=":5" />. Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” <ref name=":5" />.

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”<ref name=":6">Tse, T. W. (2010). Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop? ''Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 21''(5), 272-275. doi:10.3109/09546630903341945</ref>. In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful <ref name=":6" />. HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyperpigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” <ref name=":6" />. Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually<ref name=":6" />.

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States”<ref name=":7">Shrestha, S. (2013). Threatening consumption: Managing US imperial anxieties in representations of skin lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 19''(1), 104-119. doi:10.1080/13504630.2012.753347</ref> . The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”<ref name=":7" /> while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/color-based differences”<ref name=":7" /> . Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence”<ref name=":7" />.

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-14T06:21:36Z

ImranRai: Citations added.

'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of discrimination for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous”<ref name=":2">Li, E. P., Min, H. J., Belk, R. W., & Kimura, J. (2008). Skin lightening and beauty in four Asian cultures. ''Advances in Consumer Research, 35'', 1.</ref>. Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire<ref name=":2" />. Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes<ref name=":3">Nadeem, S. (2014). Fair and anxious: On mimicry and skin-lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 20''(2-3), 224-238. doi:10.1080/13504630.2014.881282</ref>. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted”<ref name=":3" /> . The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin<ref name=":4">''Paul, A. (2016). BEYOND THE PALE?: Skinderella stories and colourism in india. Ideaz, 14, 133.''</ref>. In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. Lipsitz(1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness” as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun<ref name=":4" />.

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
Unilever is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population<ref name=":4" />. HIstorical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion (Nadeem 2014, 225). Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Although the particular origins of colorism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE (Nadeem 2014, 226).

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fueled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive”<ref name=":5">Olumide, Y. M. (2010). Use of skin lightening creams. ''BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341''(nov23 2), c6102-c6102. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6102</ref> . This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin”<ref name=":5" />. Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” <ref name=":5" />.

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”<ref name=":6">Tse, T. W. (2010). Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop? ''Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 21''(5), 272-275. doi:10.3109/09546630903341945</ref>. In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful <ref name=":6" />. HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyperpigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” <ref name=":6" />. Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually<ref name=":6" />.

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States”<ref name=":7">Shrestha, S. (2013). Threatening consumption: Managing US imperial anxieties in representations of skin lightening in india. ''Social Identities, 19''(1), 104-119. doi:10.1080/13504630.2012.753347</ref> . The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”<ref name=":7" /> while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/color-based differences”<ref name=":7" /> . Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence”<ref name=":7" />.

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-14T06:03:50Z

ImranRai: Citations added

'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of discrimination for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism<ref>''Ryabov, I. (2016). Colorism and educational outcomes of asian americans: Evidence from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Social Psychology of Education, 19(2), 303-324. doi:10.1007/s11218-015-9327-5''</ref>.
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous” (Li et al. 2008, 444). Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire( Li et al. 2008, 444). Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted” (Nadeem 2014, 226). The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin (Paul ''2016'', 134). In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status<ref name=":1">''Phoenix, A. (2014). colourism and the politics of beauty. Feminist Review, 108(108), 97-105. doi:10.1057/fr.2014.18''</ref>. Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. Lipsitz(1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness” as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun(Paul 2016, 134).

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour<ref name=":1" />.

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour<ref name=":1" />. Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse<ref name=":1" />.

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication<ref name=":1" />. These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls”<ref name=":1" />. Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
Unilever is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population(Paul 2016, 134). HIstorical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion (Nadeem 2014, 225). Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Although the particular origins of colorism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE (Nadeem 2014, 226).

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fueled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive” (Olumide 2010, para.1). This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin” (Olumide 2010, para.1). Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” (Olumide 2010, para.1).

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”(Tse 2010, 272). In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful (Tse 2010, 272). HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyperpigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” (Tse 2010, 273). Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually (Tse 2010, 272).

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States” (Shrestha 2013, 106). The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”(Shrestha 2013, 106) while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/color-based differences” (Shrestha 2016, 109). Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence” (Shrestha 2016, 115)

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

Thread:Talk:International Shadeism in India/Feedback and Suggestions/reply

2019-11-14T05:29:09Z

ImranRai: Reply to Feedback and Suggestions

Hi Jenny! Yes, I am just figuring it out so made those citations as notes so I can update them and keep count. Thank you! This was really helpful.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-14T05:19:40Z

ImranRai: Citations added.

'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of discrimination for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups<ref name=":0">''Craddock, N., Dlova, N., & Diedrichs, P. (2018). Colourism: A global adolescent health concern. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(4), 472-477. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000638''</ref>. As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism(Ryabov 2016, 305- 307).
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous” (Li et al. 2008, 444). Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire( Li et al. 2008, 444). Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted” (Nadeem 2014, 226). The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin (Paul ''2016'', 134). In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status(Phoenix ''2014'',100). Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. Lipsitz(1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness” as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun(Paul 2016, 134).

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable<ref name=":0" />''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour(Phoenix 2014, 98).

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour ''(''Phoenix 2014, 98). Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse (Phoenix 2014, 98).

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized <ref name=":0" />. Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media<ref name=":0" />. This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication (Phoenix 2014, 99). These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls” (Phoenix 2014, 99). Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
Unilever is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population(Paul 2016, 134). HIstorical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion (Nadeem 2014, 225). Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Although the particular origins of colorism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE (Nadeem 2014, 226).

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fueled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive” (Olumide 2010, para.1). This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin” (Olumide 2010, para.1). Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” (Olumide 2010, para.1).

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”(Tse 2010, 272). In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful (Tse 2010, 272). HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyperpigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” (Tse 2010, 273). Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually (Tse 2010, 272).

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States” (Shrestha 2013, 106). The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”(Shrestha 2013, 106) while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/color-based differences” (Shrestha 2016, 109). Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence” (Shrestha 2016, 115)

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-13T00:39:47Z

ImranRai: /* Ethical Considerations */ . Rearranging.

'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of discrimination for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups(Craddock 2018, 472). As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism(Ryabov 2016, 305- 307).
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous” (Li et al. 2008, 444). Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire( Li et al. 2008, 444). Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted” (Nadeem 2014, 226). The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin (Paul ''2016'', 134). In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status(Phoenix ''2014'',100). Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. Lipsitz(1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness” as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun(Paul 2016, 134).

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable(Craddock 2018, 475)''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour(Phoenix 2014, 98).

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour ''(''Phoenix 2014, 98). Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse (Phoenix 2014, 98).

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized (Craddock 2018, 476). Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media(Craddock 2018, 476-477). This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication (Phoenix 2014, 99). These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls” (Phoenix 2014, 99). Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
Unilever is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population(Paul 2016, 134). HIstorical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion (Nadeem 2014, 225). Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Although the particular origins of colorism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE (Nadeem 2014, 226).

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fueled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive” (Olumide 2010, para.1). This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin” (Olumide 2010, para.1). Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” (Olumide 2010, para.1).

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”(Tse 2010, 272). In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful (Tse 2010, 272). HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyperpigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” (Tse 2010, 273). Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually (Tse 2010, 272).

= Conclusion =
=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States” (Shrestha 2013, 106). The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”(Shrestha 2013, 106) while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/color-based differences” (Shrestha 2016, 109). Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence” (Shrestha 2016, 115)

Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-13T00:38:52Z

ImranRai: I linked a wiki-page describing the fair&lovely product.

'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of discrimination for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups(Craddock 2018, 472). As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism(Ryabov 2016, 305- 307).
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous” (Li et al. 2008, 444). Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire( Li et al. 2008, 444). Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted” (Nadeem 2014, 226). The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin (Paul ''2016'', 134). In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status(Phoenix ''2014'',100). Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. Lipsitz(1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness” as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun(Paul 2016, 134).

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable(Craddock 2018, 475)''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour(Phoenix 2014, 98).

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour ''(''Phoenix 2014, 98). Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse (Phoenix 2014, 98).

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized (Craddock 2018, 476). Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media(Craddock 2018, 476-477). This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication (Phoenix 2014, 99). These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls” (Phoenix 2014, 99). Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
Unilever is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population(Paul 2016, 134). HIstorical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_%26_Lovely_(cosmetics) Fair & Lovely.]'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion (Nadeem 2014, 225). Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Although the particular origins of colorism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE (Nadeem 2014, 226).

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fueled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive” (Olumide 2010, para.1). This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin” (Olumide 2010, para.1). Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” (Olumide 2010, para.1).

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”(Tse 2010, 272). In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful (Tse 2010, 272). HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyperpigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” (Tse 2010, 273). Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually (Tse 2010, 272).

=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States” (Shrestha 2013, 106). The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”(Shrestha 2013, 106) while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/color-based differences” (Shrestha 2016, 109). Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence” (Shrestha 2016, 115).

= Conclusion =
Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-13T00:36:30Z

ImranRai: /* Shadeism */ Content and source addition.

'''Shadeism''', often referred to as '''“Colourism”''' is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of discrimination for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups(Craddock 2018, 472). As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
== History ==
'''Colonization''' and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism(Ryabov 2016, 305- 307).
=== Globalizing the definition of beauty ===
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous” (Li et al. 2008, 444). Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire( Li et al. 2008, 444). Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

=== '''''Division by the Caste System''''' ===
The Caste system in India was originally implemented by Aryan Caucasians (around 1500 BCE), composed of the stereotypical ‘fair’, white empire that makes up the colonialism that Nadeem describes. The political control that The British Empire obtained over India caused a sense of false consciousness for citizens “to champion lighter-skinned groups as intelligent and martial and attractive, while dark-skinned people were portrayed as effeminate and dimwitted” (Nadeem 2014, 226). The Caste System relied on colour as a form of distinction which led to India’s false belief on the correlation between power and light skin.

=== '''The West & Skin''' ===
Western notions of beauty and desirability are currently in favour of white skin as well. Western ideologies along with Asian cultural values illustrate the power of lighter skin (Paul ''2016'', 134). In the West, it is perceived and even proven that people with lighter skin earn more money, are more educated, and attain higher marital status(Phoenix ''2014'',100). Furthermore, lighter skin becomes a form of symbolic capital that is operated as economic capital, leading to an advantage in the ‘heterosexual market”. Lipsitz(1998) coins the phrase ‘possessive investment in whiteness” as a description of how European Americans use whiteness to enhance secure economic advantages, and initiates as a metaphor in which ‘whiteness’ becomes currency. This currency exists invisibly while forcing racialized groups to compete for white approval. This approval could come from skin lightening, editing, and even avoidance of the sun(Paul 2016, 134).

= Intersectionality & Shadeism =
'''Skin colour''' and the global ideals of beauty and desirability favour people with lighter skin tones. Therefore lighter skin tones have come to be conceived as embodying beauty while darker skin tones are deemed undesirable(Craddock 2018, 475)''.'' This could be described as racialized sexism as it is a product of the '''intersection''' of racism, sexism and being a woman of colour(Phoenix 2014, 98).

=== '''Shadeism and Women''' ===
Women in particular face challenges due to shadeism as it is often an intersection of sexism, further disempowering women of colour ''(''Phoenix 2014, 98). Although shadeism is very relevant, it has yet to be explored in-depth as an issue from the feminist perspective. The hegemonic misconception of a ‘beautiful fair white woman’ still remains the overwhelming narrative of the 21st century. This is a result of the ongoing racism, colourism, and patriarchal ideals of desire and beauty. The privileging of lighter skin is a result of all of these mentioned intersections, making it a complex discourse (Phoenix 2014, 98).

=== Popular culture ===
Shadeism is very relevant in popular culture, media, and music where light skin is glorified, and dark skin is demonized (Craddock 2018, 476). Celebrities of colour are often edited and modified to be lighter in magazines and advertisements. Most of these celebrities are women and social media platforms such as Instagram have become a place where these women can further filter, edit and showcase their light skin. Such filters often lighten your skin automatically, thus indirectly endorsing having lighter coloured skin. For instance, it was found that Indian women utilized a filter that lightened their skin in almost every photo they took of themselves before uploading them to social media(Craddock 2018, 476-477). This is a product of the social meanings of attractiveness attached to lighter skin.
'''''Vanity Fair'''''
Vanity Fair has been subject to altering the skin colour of women in their magazines to be considerably lighter than she is. Lightening was used in almost every issue and women with overwhelmingly dark skin tones lacked publication (Phoenix 2014, 99). These results provide proof of the digital altering of women to appear lighter without their consent. The desire driven realm of popular culture perpetuates and maintains shadeism and thus women of colour come to lack representation. The editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has stated that “the evidence suggests that black cover girls don’t sell as well as white cover girls” (Phoenix 2014, 99). Such statements can be disheartening to read as they state a clear implicit bias towards humans solely on the shade of their skin.
'''''Unilever: Fair in North America, Unfair in India'''''
Unilever is a multinational corporation which happens to own Dove, Fair & Lovely and Axe, all of which have controversial advertisements worldwide revolving around body image and desirability. It is no secret that beauty products are designed to endorse fixed ideas of beauty but to what extent? Unilever is directly contradicting themselves in different countries for their advantage and playing on the fact that some women in particular desire and think that they need to be lighter to attain a certain lifestyle. ''Dove'' is a well-known company in North America, famous for its promotion of positive body image and its famous “Real Beauty” ads which attempt to break the barriers of self-consciousness and fixed notions of beauty. ''Dove’s'' advertisements are widely accepted in North America as it has become an extremely multicultural and evolving continent with a lot of publications around body image and skin colour. Although ''Dove'' appears to be an advocate for natural beauty, their advertisements in India prove otherwise

= The Practice of Skin-Lightening =
'''Skin-lightening''' has become a global phenomenon, By focussing on India for the purpose of analysis, one can see how a variety of chemically enhanced products become an overwhelming infatuation for a large population(Paul 2016, 134). HIstorical circumstances are what give fuel to this internalized desire of being whiter. Skin lightening is a prevalent practice in India and has been a product of their colonial past with Britain. “White skin” has emerged as a central necessity of consumer culture in affluent Asia. Women with more money have access to skin lightening and thus accumulate higher job positions and marital status. Asia embodies the beauty ideal of white skin and its power.

=== India & Skin-Lightening ===
When traveling to India one may notice the heavy commercialization of the popular product, ''Fair & Lovely.'' This product is the most successful skin-lightening product in India, which also happens to be the largest global market for skin-lightening products. There has been many studies and research conducted on the topic of skin-lightening and why its market continues to flourish despite the medical concerns attached to skin-lightening as well as the deeper issue of racism that comes along with it. Skin-lightening is still very prominent and accepted in regions like India. Although companies use India’s skin-lightening market as a major base to make a profit of this practice, skin-lightening is unethical to advertise as it has serious medical side effects and promotes internalized-racism. Companies like ''Unilever'' endorse their products in such a way that makes women believe they need them which leads them to want them, but what do they take into account when producing these products and advertisements? As previously mentioned, India is the world’s skin-lightening capital and it is not just ''Unilever'' who takes advantage of this, famous companies such as ''L’Oréal'' and ''Garnier'' do as well. Women in India have desired to be white or whiter for a long time and the root of this problem is what many researchers are curious to discover.

=== '''''India: The Capital of Skin-Lightening''''' ===
The capital of skin-lightening, India, has become the most vulnerable consumer for ''Unilever/Hindustan Unilever'' and any other company taking advantage of the desire to be ‘fair’ amongst the South Asians. The appetency to be ‘fair’ in India stems from a form of globalization revolving around exclusion (Nadeem 2014, 225). Shehzad Nadeem describes this as “the fairness fetish [which] pervades the job and marital markets and is deeply entwined with gender, class, and caste discrimination” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Because of these factors. Many South Asian women continue to purchase skin-lightening products as a way of fitting in and avoiding discrimination while becoming more suitable and desirable as companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' advertise. The growing wants to lighten one’s skin is one that has become crucible insecurity and western hegemony for India, “it is the flight for something pitied (darkness) and the chasing of something prized (fairness)” (Nadeem 2014, 225). Although the particular origins of colorism in India are unknown “It is popularly suggested that such prejudice predates colonialism” date back to around 1500 BCE (Nadeem 2014, 226).

=== The Practice of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening(bleaching) in this case, is defined as using cosmetics such as skin-lightening creams to lighten the colour of skin especially for women of darker skin colour. Some may argue that this practice is “fueled by racial prejudice [that] stems from the misconceptions that black skin is inferior and that someone with fair skin is more attractive” (Olumide 2010, para.1). This could be seen as morally wrong as “cosmetics are meant to improve the appearance of the skin or enhance the attractiveness of users, not to alter the basic structure of the skin” (Olumide 2010, para.1). Since skin-lightening creams are solicited as cosmetics, they should actually be sold as drugs as they “alter the chemical structures of the skin by inhibiting the synthesis of melanin” (Olumide 2010, para.1).

=== Medical Implications of Skin-Lightening ===
Skin-lightening can be done in various ways such as using facial creams that work by reducing the melanin in the skin. Although seemingly harmless, these creams can have serious medical side effects as they contain harsh chemicals like Hydroquinone. In “Hydroquinone for skin lightening: Safety profile, duration of use and when should we stop?” Tsz Wah Tse focuses on Hydroquinone(HQ), a harmful skin-lightening agent that “is one of the most frequently used whitening products on the market”(Tse 2010, 272). In 2006 skin-bleaching products that had not received FDA approval were to be banned as they were considered as misbranded and harmful (Tse 2010, 272). HQ is like many other skin-lightening agents as it is formulated to inhibit melanin production, melanin is the natural pigment that one is born with so tampering with its production can have serious side effects. Products including HQ “do not ‘bleach the skin’ but gradually suppress melanin pigment production” causing the skin to lighten as a result. If using these products becomes a form of prolonged application, prolonged exposure may result in exogenous ochronosis(EO), which can have side effects such as hyperpigmentation and “mild pigmentation of the body, face, neck, upper chest, and upper back” (Tse 2010, 273). Despite the research and proof presented and HQ’s harmful side effects “15 million tubes of skin-lightening formulations containing HQ are [still] sold annually (Tse 2010, 272).

=== '''Ethical Considerations''' ===
The advertising and profitable world created around skin-lightening is a pervasive form of ‘othering’ in India and around the world. Although the western world now encourages multiculturalism and inclusivity, countries like India may not and companies like ''Unilever monopolize'' this. Even mainstream media in the US “depict[s] skin lightening as emblematic of Indian ‘otherness [and a] part of a contradictory set of representations about post-liberalization between its growing relationships with the United States” (Shrestha 2013, 106). The British Empire began envy of power from India and powerful countries like the US are continuing it. “India’s symbolic proximity to the United States has increased in the last three decades”(Shrestha 2013, 106) while also symbolically replacing The British Empire. Because of this, the historic and current ideas of power in India have been falsely attached to ‘whiteness’. The constant exposure to this false consciousness and control over India has caused internalized racism that is seemingly inescapable and this is apparent because companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' continue to grow and exist. The internalized racism created among India’s citizens further translates to an “inability to move forward and achiever full political modernity [which] is exemplified in its continual attachment to racial/ethnic/color-based differences” (Shrestha 2016, 109). Skin-lightening is a practice that is a locus due to its “association with racism and social inequalities and the expanding emerging market influence” (Shrestha 2016, 115).

= Conclusion =
Despite the proof of harm and medical side-effects, skin-lightening has become extremely potent in India. Ethical concerns accompany these implications as skin-lightening stems from a sense of envy and false consciousness by further contributing to internalized racism for people in India. Skin-lightening companies like ''Fair & Lovely'' use the vulnerability created by the complex history of the desire for lighter skin in India for profits and control. Through an ethnocentric lens, it may be hard for North Americans to acknowledge the serious implications that skin-lightening has for women in India. In order for the negativity surrounding skin-lightening practices to be exposed, this issue must be widely publicized and companies like ''Utilizer'' should be further regulated.

File:Colourism.jpg

2019-11-13T00:28:38Z

ImranRai: User created page with UploadWizard

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[[Category:Social Media]]

International Shadeism in India

2019-11-13T00:18:24Z

ImranRai: I added introductory information to the topic of International shadeism and how it has erupted in places such as India. I did this to conceptualize for my assignment.

===== Shadeism =====
Shadeism, often referred to as “Colourism” is the preferential treatment of an individual based on their skin tone or colour. Shadeism often works in favour of ones with lighter skin tones and colour, and causes a wide spectrum of discrimination for those with darker skin colours. Individuals with darker skin tones become subject to mistreatment due to social meanings and misconceptions attached to their skin. Shadeism occurs between and within racial and ethnic groups(Craddock 2018, 472). As a result, the discourse of shadeism becomes pivotal in changing the lives and shared experiences of people of colour globally.
===== History =====
Colonization and its history have had a major impact on power dynamics globally. The European colonization was arguably the most influential instance of white privilege worldwide and the colonial period perpetuated ideas of white superiority. Although white superiority itself and European power is a construct consisting of phenotypical hierarchy, it became internalized and impacted coloured people everywhere. European’s asserted a colour-based hierarchy in the colonies they took over. This can be seen in the instance where they invaded India. Their invasion created a hierarchy consisting of lighter individuals at the top, and those with darker skin tones at the bottom. Individuals with dark skin were associated with ugliness, inferiority, and savagery. Such power dynamics created long-lasting trauma, making individuals crave lighter complexion and associate skin colour with power and lack of power. This is what led to a long-lasting effect of colourism(Ryabov 2016, 305- 307).
===== Globalizing the definition of beauty =====
In India, fairness is more than envy, it is a goal that many wish to pursue through the use of harmful cosmetic products. If one were to ask someone from the western world about skin-lightening, they may commonly relate it to tanning and justify the practice. Although seemingly similar, tanning and skin-lightening are extremely different. Tanning is a practice that revolves around fads and the crave for summer and a sun-kissed body that is naturally associated with the season along with the happiness it brings. Skin-lightening however, has a far more complicated reason for its existence. Because of their colonial history with The British Empire, “in India, the words for fair and beautiful are synonymous” (Li et al. 2008, 444). Skin-lightening is a practice explained by many variables like “feminine discourses of beauty, and ‘whiteness’,” all stemming from contact with the Caucasian West and The British Empire( Li et al. 2008, 444). Tanning may be the same idea as both practices change the colour of one’s skin, but skin-lightening has a more complex history and present because of its rise to beauty ideals and feeling of inferiority it provides for India.

GRSJ224

2019-11-11T22:49:47Z

ImranRai: /* Discrimination */ I added my section focussing on International Shadeism and skin-lightening practices in India - Stemming from discrimination based on skin tone and colour.

This '''Wikispace''' is a peer-produced shared resource that will evolve as students post content relating to GRSJ224. You are responsible for creating dynamic and informative wiki pages. As you add and update information throughout the semester, originality, resourcefulness, and creativity is encouraged. The wiki will be sustained for successive semesters so that the work you contribute will be available to future students.

=== ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION ===

To download and view full details of the assignment, click [https://canvas.ubc.ca/files/4963443/download?download_frd=1 here].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_preparation.gif ||
* Read: [https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2005/7/eli7004-pdf.pdf 7 Things you should know about Wikis]
* Choose a term from the table of contents
* Confirm your selection of topic with your instructor by the '''SECOND WEEK OF CLASSES'''
* Set up your wiki page.
* Instructions on how to use the Visual Editor on UBC Wikis: [https://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Visual_Editor Help:Visual Editor]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_finalizing.png ||
* Continue to work towards improving and finalizing your Wiki.
* Consider the wiki as a whole and the usefulness of adding images and links.
* Check your Talk page to see if your peers provided you with any useful feedback
* Ensure your Wiki is properly cited
* Proofread your Wiki

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_research.gif ||
* Gather resources in relevance of your discoveries to class materials.
* Familiarize yourself with the wiki-authoring tools of [[GRSJ224/wikibasics|Wiki Basics]]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_submit.gif ||
* Submit "Wikipedia Report" to your instructor in Connect

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_drafting.gif ||
* Read: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles Wikipedia's guide to Writing Better Articles]
* Write content relevant to class material.
* Tailor your page to your audience.
* Check out your peers’ draft Wikis below and provide feedback using the [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Talk_pages Talk pages]
* The intellectual rules of property DO apply: provide [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink links], not [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism plagiarisms].
|}

'''Helpful Links:'''
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d2u58vo0/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_kmj3r79h Embed an Image]
* [https://wiki.ubc.ca/GRSJ224/racialdiscrimination Embed a Video]
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d478y7sn/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_sg3scx28 Link to an external website]

=== TABLE OF CONTENTS ===

{| width="100%" class="wikitable" style="background:aliceblue; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; border-color: #AEDCF6;" border="1" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="2"
|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Democracy</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Neoliberalism</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Post-coloniality</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Immigration</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Discrimination</span></h2>
* [[Discrimination in the Medical System]]
* International Shadeism in India
*

|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Masculinity</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Medicalization</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">LGBT Families</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Reproduction</span></h2>====
* [[History of abortion in South Korea]]
* [[Media Representation of Pregnancy]]
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Feminism</span></h2>====
* [[Feminism in Superhero Movies]]
* [[Women in Professional Baseball]]
*
|}

===ARCHIVE===
Here is an archive of the Wiki pages created by previous students: [[GRSJ224/archive|Archive of Wiki pages]]

GRSJ224

2019-11-09T04:43:01Z

ImranRai: /* Inernational Shadeism in India */

This '''Wikispace''' is a peer-produced shared resource that will evolve as students post content relating to GRSJ224. You are responsible for creating dynamic and informative wiki pages. As you add and update information throughout the semester, originality, resourcefulness, and creativity is encouraged. The wiki will be sustained for successive semesters so that the work you contribute will be available to future students.

=== ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION ===

To download and view full details of the assignment, click [https://canvas.ubc.ca/files/4963443/download?download_frd=1 here].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_preparation.gif ||
* Read: [https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2005/7/eli7004-pdf.pdf 7 Things you should know about Wikis]
* Choose a term from the table of contents
* Confirm your selection of topic with your instructor by the '''SECOND WEEK OF CLASSES'''
* Set up your wiki page.
* Instructions on how to use the Visual Editor on UBC Wikis: [https://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Visual_Editor Help:Visual Editor]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_finalizing.png ||
* Continue to work towards improving and finalizing your Wiki.
* Consider the wiki as a whole and the usefulness of adding images and links.
* Check your Talk page to see if your peers provided you with any useful feedback
* Ensure your Wiki is properly cited
* Proofread your Wiki

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_research.gif ||
* Gather resources in relevance of your discoveries to class materials.
* Familiarize yourself with the wiki-authoring tools of [[GRSJ224/wikibasics|Wiki Basics]]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_submit.gif ||
* Submit "Wikipedia Report" to your instructor in Connect

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_drafting.gif ||
* Read: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles Wikipedia's guide to Writing Better Articles]
* Write content relevant to class material.
* Tailor your page to your audience.
* Check out your peers’ draft Wikis below and provide feedback using the [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Talk_pages Talk pages]
* The intellectual rules of property DO apply: provide [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink links], not [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism plagiarisms].
|}

'''Helpful Links:'''
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d2u58vo0/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_kmj3r79h Embed an Image]
* [https://wiki.ubc.ca/GRSJ224/racialdiscrimination Embed a Video]
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d478y7sn/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_sg3scx28 Link to an external website]

=== TABLE OF CONTENTS ===

{| width="100%" class="wikitable" style="background:aliceblue; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; border-color: #AEDCF6;" border="1" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="2"
|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Democracy</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Neoliberalism</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Post-coloniality</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Reproduction</span></h2>[[History of abortion in South Korea]]
[[Media Representation of Pregnancy]]
*

|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Immigration</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
[[GRSJ224/feminism-in-superhero-movies|Feminism in Superhero Movies]]

[[Women in Professional Baseball]]<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Feminism</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Discrimination</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Masculinity</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
|-

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Medicalization</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">LGBT Families</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Rituals</span></h2>
*

|
|
|}

===ARCHIVE===
Here is an archive of the Wiki pages created by previous students: [[GRSJ224/archive|Archive of Wiki pages]]

GRSJ224

2019-11-09T04:42:13Z

ImranRai: /* Discrimination */

This '''Wikispace''' is a peer-produced shared resource that will evolve as students post content relating to GRSJ224. You are responsible for creating dynamic and informative wiki pages. As you add and update information throughout the semester, originality, resourcefulness, and creativity is encouraged. The wiki will be sustained for successive semesters so that the work you contribute will be available to future students.

=== ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION ===

To download and view full details of the assignment, click [https://canvas.ubc.ca/files/4963443/download?download_frd=1 here].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_preparation.gif ||
* Read: [https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2005/7/eli7004-pdf.pdf 7 Things you should know about Wikis]
* Choose a term from the table of contents
* Confirm your selection of topic with your instructor by the '''SECOND WEEK OF CLASSES'''
* Set up your wiki page.
* Instructions on how to use the Visual Editor on UBC Wikis: [https://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Visual_Editor Help:Visual Editor]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_finalizing.png ||
* Continue to work towards improving and finalizing your Wiki.
* Consider the wiki as a whole and the usefulness of adding images and links.
* Check your Talk page to see if your peers provided you with any useful feedback
* Ensure your Wiki is properly cited
* Proofread your Wiki

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_research.gif ||
* Gather resources in relevance of your discoveries to class materials.
* Familiarize yourself with the wiki-authoring tools of [[GRSJ224/wikibasics|Wiki Basics]]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_submit.gif ||
* Submit "Wikipedia Report" to your instructor in Connect

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_drafting.gif ||
* Read: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles Wikipedia's guide to Writing Better Articles]
* Write content relevant to class material.
* Tailor your page to your audience.
* Check out your peers’ draft Wikis below and provide feedback using the [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Talk_pages Talk pages]
* The intellectual rules of property DO apply: provide [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink links], not [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism plagiarisms].
|}

'''Helpful Links:'''
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d2u58vo0/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_kmj3r79h Embed an Image]
* [https://wiki.ubc.ca/GRSJ224/racialdiscrimination Embed a Video]
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d478y7sn/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_sg3scx28 Link to an external website]

=== TABLE OF CONTENTS ===

{| width="100%" class="wikitable" style="background:aliceblue; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; border-color: #AEDCF6;" border="1" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="2"
|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Democracy</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Neoliberalism</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Post-coloniality</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Reproduction</span></h2>[[History of abortion in South Korea]]
[[Media Representation of Pregnancy]]
*

|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Immigration</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
[[GRSJ224/feminism-in-superhero-movies|Feminism in Superhero Movies]]

[[Women in Professional Baseball]]<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Feminism</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
===Inernational Shadeism in India===
<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Discrimination</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Masculinity</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
|-

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Medicalization</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">LGBT Families</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Rituals</span></h2>
*

|
|
|}

===ARCHIVE===
Here is an archive of the Wiki pages created by previous students: [[GRSJ224/archive|Archive of Wiki pages]]

GRSJ224

2019-11-09T04:40:08Z

ImranRai: /* International Shadeism */

This '''Wikispace''' is a peer-produced shared resource that will evolve as students post content relating to GRSJ224. You are responsible for creating dynamic and informative wiki pages. As you add and update information throughout the semester, originality, resourcefulness, and creativity is encouraged. The wiki will be sustained for successive semesters so that the work you contribute will be available to future students.

=== ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION ===

To download and view full details of the assignment, click [https://canvas.ubc.ca/files/4963443/download?download_frd=1 here].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_preparation.gif ||
* Read: [https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2005/7/eli7004-pdf.pdf 7 Things you should know about Wikis]
* Choose a term from the table of contents
* Confirm your selection of topic with your instructor by the '''SECOND WEEK OF CLASSES'''
* Set up your wiki page.
* Instructions on how to use the Visual Editor on UBC Wikis: [https://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Visual_Editor Help:Visual Editor]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_finalizing.png ||
* Continue to work towards improving and finalizing your Wiki.
* Consider the wiki as a whole and the usefulness of adding images and links.
* Check your Talk page to see if your peers provided you with any useful feedback
* Ensure your Wiki is properly cited
* Proofread your Wiki

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_research.gif ||
* Gather resources in relevance of your discoveries to class materials.
* Familiarize yourself with the wiki-authoring tools of [[GRSJ224/wikibasics|Wiki Basics]]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_submit.gif ||
* Submit "Wikipedia Report" to your instructor in Connect

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_drafting.gif ||
* Read: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles Wikipedia's guide to Writing Better Articles]
* Write content relevant to class material.
* Tailor your page to your audience.
* Check out your peers’ draft Wikis below and provide feedback using the [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Talk_pages Talk pages]
* The intellectual rules of property DO apply: provide [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink links], not [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism plagiarisms].
|}

'''Helpful Links:'''
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d2u58vo0/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_kmj3r79h Embed an Image]
* [https://wiki.ubc.ca/GRSJ224/racialdiscrimination Embed a Video]
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d478y7sn/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_sg3scx28 Link to an external website]

=== TABLE OF CONTENTS ===

{| width="100%" class="wikitable" style="background:aliceblue; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; border-color: #AEDCF6;" border="1" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="2"
|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Democracy</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Neoliberalism</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Post-coloniality</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Reproduction</span></h2>[[History of abortion in South Korea]]
[[Media Representation of Pregnancy]]
*

|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Immigration</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
[[GRSJ224/feminism-in-superhero-movies|Feminism in Superhero Movies]]

[[Women in Professional Baseball]]<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Feminism</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Discrimination</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Masculinity</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
|-

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Medicalization</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">LGBT Families</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Rituals</span></h2>
*

|
|
|}

===ARCHIVE===
Here is an archive of the Wiki pages created by previous students: [[GRSJ224/archive|Archive of Wiki pages]]

GRSJ224

2019-11-04T00:56:33Z

ImranRai: /* Discrimination */

This '''Wikispace''' is a peer-produced shared resource that will evolve as students post content relating to GRSJ224. You are responsible for creating dynamic and informative wiki pages. As you add and update information throughout the semester, originality, resourcefulness, and creativity is encouraged. The wiki will be sustained for successive semesters so that the work you contribute will be available to future students.

=== ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION ===

To download and view full details of the assignment, click [https://canvas.ubc.ca/files/4963443/download?download_frd=1 here].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_preparation.gif ||
* Read: [https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2005/7/eli7004-pdf.pdf 7 Things you should know about Wikis]
* Choose a term from the table of contents
* Confirm your selection of topic with your instructor by the '''SECOND WEEK OF CLASSES'''
* Set up your wiki page.
* Instructions on how to use the Visual Editor on UBC Wikis: [https://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Visual_Editor Help:Visual Editor]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_finalizing.png ||
* Continue to work towards improving and finalizing your Wiki.
* Consider the wiki as a whole and the usefulness of adding images and links.
* Check your Talk page to see if your peers provided you with any useful feedback
* Ensure your Wiki is properly cited
* Proofread your Wiki

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_research.gif ||
* Gather resources in relevance of your discoveries to class materials.
* Familiarize yourself with the wiki-authoring tools of [[GRSJ224/wikibasics|Wiki Basics]]
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_submit.gif ||
* Submit "Wikipedia Report" to your instructor in Connect

|-
| https://connect.ubc.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/WS.UBC.FL.GRSJ.224.COURSECONTENT.2014S/Files%20for%20UBC%20Wiki/wiki_drafting.gif ||
* Read: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles Wikipedia's guide to Writing Better Articles]
* Write content relevant to class material.
* Tailor your page to your audience.
* Check out your peers’ draft Wikis below and provide feedback using the [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Talk_pages Talk pages]
* The intellectual rules of property DO apply: provide [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink links], not [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism plagiarisms].
|}

'''Helpful Links:'''
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d2u58vo0/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_kmj3r79h Embed an Image]
* [https://wiki.ubc.ca/GRSJ224/racialdiscrimination Embed a Video]
* [https://admin.video.ubc.ca/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_d478y7sn/uiconf_id/11170637/entry_id/0_sg3scx28 Link to an external website]

=== TABLE OF CONTENTS ===

{| width="100%" class="wikitable" style="background:aliceblue; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; border-color: #AEDCF6;" border="1" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="2"
|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Democracy</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Neoliberalism</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Post-coloniality</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Reproduction</span></h2>====
*

|-
| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Immigration</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
[[GRSJ224/feminism-in-superhero-movies|Feminism in Superhero Movies]] <h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Feminism</span></h2>
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Discrimination</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Masculinity</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
|-

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Medicalization</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |
====<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">LGBT Families</span></h2>====
*

| valign="top" style="padding: 0; margin:0;width:25%" |

===International Shadeism===
<h2 style="margin:0; background:#2B3087; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; border:1px solid #a3b0bf; text-align:left; color:#000; padding:0.2em 0.4em;"><span style="color:white">Rituals</span></h2>
*

|
|
|}

===ARCHIVE===
Here is an archive of the Wiki pages created by previous students: [[GRSJ224/archive|Archive of Wiki pages]]