Lighter-Skinned and Beautiful? Investigating Shadeism Amongst South Asian Women in Canada
Date
2021-09-23
Authors
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