Indian Society Forms And Interesting Study

As stated above, African-American women have been subjected to measure themselves against white women. White women are viewed, in this society and since the beginning of the concept of race, as the epitome of beauty. Logically, African-American women attempt to emulate the white standard. This creates an inferiority complex, because the epitome of beauty is white woman, than any other race can be deemed as inferior; this deteriorates African-American women’s self-worth. To remedy worthlessness, many body modification techniques have been made to fully mimic white women in terms of beauty. This emulation still is being done and it is continuous, because of the psychological ‘white fantasization .

If a black woman had dark skin she would resemble a man, therefore making her ugly in society’s standards. This pressures black women to constantly be "compatible with the white female standard of beauty" (Ashe 580) in order to be socially accepted in society. Intuitively black women understood that in order to be considered desirable, the less black they had to look. This unfortunate perception of beauty stems from a long pattern of "sociohistorical racial injustices" (Bealer 312) towards darker skinned African Americans. Maria Racine states in her review that since slavery black people who approximated closer to whites were sexually sought after by black slave men and white plantation owners and were considered to live a somewhat "easy coexistence" because of their appearance (Racine 283). Since it’s start, colorism laid the pathway of racial prejudice towards dark skinned individuals. The result of treating dark African Americans as subhuman beings led to the altering of the black psyche by creating a "pervasive hierarchy" of beauty that black woman constantly combated or were forced to accept. (Bealer 312).

racial beauty is indeed only skin deep. By primarily relying on the perception of Englishmen about black

The caste system has been extremely stable in India for over two thousand years. It is only since the more modern, independent state of India was formed that the system has come under any scrutiny at all. It is presently outlawed, but many of the practices, attitudes and traditions remain ingrained in Hindu society (University of Wyoming, 1997).

Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly colour. I'm so glad I'm a Beta” (Huxley 361). In the World State it is very clear which caste people come from due to their clothing, their job and their knowledge. The castes may not seem very important to one another but in the end they all rely on each other

In the short story “Flowers and Freckle Cream” by Elizabeth Ellis it is stated, “But to me, her unforgivable sin was that she had flawless peaches and cream complexion. I couldn’t help but compare myself with her and think my life would be different if I had beautiful skin too.” Mary Ellen, the main character is constantly comparing herself

Throughout history, Black women in the U.S have been challenged with the Western standards of beauty that negated any natural beauty of blackness. During slavery, blacks with Caucasian features such as light skin and straight hair often received preferable treatment (Neal & Wilson, 1989). This behavior continued after slavery within the African American community. Light skinned black men continue to obtain higher status positions, receive better opportunities and higher educational advantages (Neal & Wilson, 1989). This experience reinforced the importance of the White standard that sadly still exists today. Individuals are being evaluated based on physical characteristics in a society that assigned whiteness with intelligence, beauty and

A Genealogy of Modern Racism by Cornel West. According to America, the standard beauty is the Europeans, the idea of the white supremacy that all white people have the power. Racism is still an issue in America, people are been discriminated by their skin color. White people are considered to be the most beautiful persons in the world, but this is just what make us think because this is the way that society is structure that white people are the ruling class.

The caste system itself is a system of social stratification, based on two concepts, varna and jati. Varna

Vedic society was divided into four different classes, Brahmans, nobles, commoners and the serfs. These classes are part of the cosmic hierarchy and were based on purity. This gave way to the caste systems. Castes are arranged in the following order of the polarity of purity; Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and the shudras. With a fifth group called the untouchables at the very bottom. They are the untouchables because they are the most impure. The caste of an individual cannot be removed. Each caste has strict rules on caste endogamy.

In an effort to explain the impact of colorism in black communities, Rita B. Dandridge once stated, “In African American culture, class bias is the handmaiden of intraracial prejudice that privileges the near-white or light-complexioned person over the darker-hued.” These privileges include more desirable jobs, houses in more prestigious neighborhoods, and better educational opportunities based on one having a lighter skin complexion. Since whites have more privileges in society simply based on the color of their skin, it is common for blacks to want to be white or be able to at least pass as white. In the short story, “Sweetness” by the author Toni Morrison, the character Sweetness faces the struggles of raising a dark skin girl during

“You would look so much prettier with your hair straight!” is a comment my sister of mixed descent has been receiving from her classmates since childhood. Straight hair is a Eurocentric beauty standard that has been pushed onto my lighter skinned sister for most of her life. I am of a darker complexion however and therefore am complimented often on my naturally curly hair. This leads to the question; do black beauty standards differ from white ones? The answer to this query is explored in Maxine Craig’s work Ain’t I a Beauty Queen? She claims that in many regards, though not all, the answer is yes. While Craig does a good job of defining the historical moments that lead to black beauty standards today, she lacks an explanation as to why darker skin tones are stigmatized the way they are and neither does she factor in how many people consider personality when determining beauty.

The creation of interracial groups created a social hierarchy known as castes. At the top

            During the Vedic Age of Indian civilization, it is believed that after the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization some of the kinship groups and patriarchal families migrated into India.  As some within the Aryas tribe (light-skinned) entered into the Ganges Valley, they encountered a struggle with the Dasas tribe (dark-skinned) but managed to force the tribe into southern India.   The struggle between the tribes led to the development of the Varna class system.  Under this system, people were born

India is country known all over the world for its culture and tradition. It is a land with various cultures and traditions which are as vast as the subcontinent upon which they are located. This essay will focus on the Indian culture and highlight the different beliefs that Indians have on life processes. The essay will show the different methods Indians use to stay healthy and how the Indian culture can determine how healthcare services are provided to the people.