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Lighter-Skinned and Beautiful? Investigating Shadeism Amongst South Asian Women in Canada

Date

2021-09-23

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

ORCID

0000-0002-5406-0151

Type

Thesis

Degree Level

Masters

Abstract

The current study explored shadeism (i.e., prejudice based on skin shade) within interpersonal, social, and cultural contexts amongst South Asian women living in Canada. Phase I consisted of an online survey with 169 women from South Asian ethnicities and living in Canada. These women responded to measures assessing perceptions of their skin tones, mental health, body image, appearance-related attitudes, and bicultural identity integration. Phase II involved virtual, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 13 South Asian women living in Canada, who narrated their experiences and implications of shadeism in interpersonal, social, and cultural settings. In Phase I, the hypotheses were not supported. However, darker skin tone evaluation and frequency of skin-lightening practices significantly correlated with negative perceptions of one’s appearance, appearance-fixing tendencies, and bicultural identity integration. Using reflexive thematic analysis, four broad themes were derived from the interview data in Phase II: 1) colonial origins of shadeism; 2) experiences of shadeism (i.e., interpersonal, social, and cultural spaces, media portrayals, and intersections of shadeism with other forms of oppression [e.g., racism]); 3) protective factors against shadeism (e.g., coping, resilience, and resistance; older age and maturity; interpersonal support; living in Canada; and having a bicultural identity); and 4) outcomes of shadeism on perceptions of skin tone, skin-lightening practices, and psychological wellbeing. The limitations and future implications of this study are discussed.

Description

Keywords

Shadeism, South Asian women, Canada, interpersonal, cultural

Citation

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

Psychology

Program

Culture and Human Development

Advisor

Part Of

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DOI

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