‘Dying' to be White
eBook - ePub

‘Dying' to be White

The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

  1. 152 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

‘Dying' to be White

The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

About this book

This book examines the phenomenon of colorism in India and the Global South and critically analyses the obsession with fair skin and its association with social capital or mobility.

Exploring the prevalence of colorism in India, China, Japan, Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya and Australia, it traces its roots in history, scriptures, travel narratives, contemporary media and popular culture. How much did colonialism and European imperialism contribute to the desire to be white? How have globalization and the spread of consumer culture and Western ideals of beauty helped exacerbate these issues? The author discusses these questions while looking at the aspirations for beauty and modernity among these societies and the growing popularity of the use of creams, lotions and other methods to whiten the skin as a means to assimilate, emulate the West and gain better prospects and life.

Lucid and topical, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of race and colorism, sociology, social history, social anthropology, cultural studies, consumer economics, Asian studies and South Asian studies.

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Yes, you can access ‘Dying' to be White by Purnima Mehta Bhatt in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Politics & International Relations & Regional Studies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. List of Figures
  8. Preface
  9. Acknowledgments
  10. 1 Obsession With Fair Skin: The Meaning of Colorism, Biology of Skin and Skin Color as Social Capital
  11. 2 Colorism in the Ancient World
  12. 3 Finding Color Prejudice in Foreign Travelers’ Accounts
  13. 4 Origins and Evolution of Colorism in India: External Invasions and Influences
  14. 5 Colorism in Hindu Religion
  15. 6 Ideals of Beauty in Classical Indian Literature and Art
  16. 7 Colorism in Popular Indian Culture
  17. 8 Penchant for Fair Skin in East Asia
  18. 9 Cosmopolitan Whiteness in South and Southeast Asia
  19. 10 Colorism in Afro-American Community and in Africa
  20. 11 Fondness for Fairness in the Caribbean and Latin America
  21. 12 Indigenous Peoples of the World and the Roma
  22. 13 Health Effects of Skin Whitening and Voices of Opposition
  23. 14 In Conclusion: Afterword
  24. Bibliography
  25. Index