Colorism and Skin-Color StratificationReadings:Chapter 5. and “Malu: Coloring Shame and Shaming the Color of Beauty in Transnational Indonesia”

CLASS 5. SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

CLASS GOALS1. Develop an understanding of when and

how colorism and skin-color stratification originated.

2. Develop an understanding of how colorism operates in different societies.

3. Develop an understanding of how skin color relates to gender and beauty.

4. Apply these understandings to specific situations.

CONCEPTSColorism

Skin-color stratification

Pigmentocracy

HISTORY OF COLORISM IN US- What role did

colorism play during slavery?

- How did colorism operate during the early 20th century n the US?

COLORISM IN LATIN AMERICAHow is skin color stratification in Latin America related to colonialism?

GLOBAL COLOR HIERARCHYWhy are skin whitening creams popular all around the world?

Is this necessarily related to colonialism?

AFRICA AND THE DIASPORAWhy do people of African descent use skin bleaches?

Does it mean they want to be white?

How is this related to a global color hierarchy?

WHY DO WOMEN FACE MORE PRESSURE TO BE LIGHT?Hunter introduces the concept of a beauty queue to explain “how sexism and racism interact to create a queue of women from the lightest to the darkest.”

FILMDARK GIRLSDocumentary exploring the deep-seated biases and attitudes about skin color particularly dark skinned women, outside of and within Black American culture.

REFLECTIONSIn what ways is colorism gendered?

What is the difference between the desire to be white and the desire to have light skin?

Does it matter whether or not colorism predates colonialism?

SKIN WHITENING IN INDONESIAAyu Saraswati argues that the urge to avoid shame and embarrassment led women to lighten their skin.

Malu – which means shame – is a “gendered affect,” meaning it affects men and women differently.

Why would women feel shame about their color?

GROUP WORKWhat evidence does Saraswati provide that women use skin whitening cream to avoid shame (malu)?

Give a specific example from the reading.

What does this evidence reveal about the racial and gender hierarchy in Indonesia?

How is this related to global racial formation?

How does this relate to colonialism?

CLASS GOALS1. Develop an understanding of when and

how colorism and skin-color stratification originated.

2. Develop an understanding of how colorism operates in different societies.

3. Develop an understanding of how skin color relates to gender and beauty.

4. Apply these understandings to specific situations.

WEEKLY QUESTION 2What evidence does Ayu Saraswati provide that women use skin whitening cream to avoid shame (malu)? What does this evidence reveal about the racial and gender hierarchy in Indonesia? How is this related to global racial formation and colonialism?