Skin Bleaching Research Paper

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 .

Beauty is an important aspect of many women’s lives, often dictating their everyday behaviours. Women are held to narrow, unrealistic expectations of what they should look like; these expectations being portrayed through beauty ideals and trends. Although these trends, and the advertisements they are promoted through, seem relatively harmless, they can often reinforce racism and become their own system of oppression. Throughout cultures, dark-skin is seen as unwanted and unappealing, whereas light-skin is valued and privileged. This white supremacist ideal is propagated through these various beauty trends and their advertising, inseminating privilege towards lighter skin shades. The beauty trend of using skin-bleaching creams to lighten one’s

As the research continues it becomes ever more important to discuss how exactly the differing pigmentation of one race of people actually occurs, because I feel that it has an effect on the way colorism is handled throughout the African American community. There are two ways in which a person of African descent can be of a lighter complexion; the first being amalgamation, which is the coming together of both the black and white races and reproducing to make a mulatto or mixed race child and the second is the use of cosmetic creams in attempt to bleach one’s skin until they too appear mulatto (Dorman 48). This is relevant because, it shows the extremes that people are willing to go to reach the highest plateau of social acceptance. Many of these creams were painful acidic chemicals slowly burning away the pigmentation as people slept, while others were considered mild abrasive materials used to “gently” scrape away dark pigments (Dorman

As much as we would prefer for it not to be true, skin tone complications of the past still afflict the psyche of present-day America. The American social hierarchy places people of mixed-race ancestry below whites but above blacks, while additional social stratifications along color lines are simultaneously taking place within the nation’s multiracial groups, according to a Johns Hopkins University sociologist’s study of U.S. Census data (Bennett, 2011). The idea that light-skinned blacks hold a higher standing than dark-skinned blacks is still a large point of discontent in the black community. Using data from the National Survey of Black Americans, it was found that blacks with lighter skin had higher socioeconomic status, had spouses higher in socioeconomic status, and had lower black consciousness than those with dark skin (Hughes & Hertel, 1990). A 2006 University of Georgia study showed that employers prefer light-skinned black men to

Two times of melanin are produced within the body, one is called eumelanin and it is responsible for the golden brown color we normally associate with tanning. Another pigment is called pheomelanin and it produces a red color. Redheads and blondes produce more pheomelanin and less eumelanin, which is why they don't tan as well. Sunlight and ultraviolet rays affect the pituitary gland, a gland at the base of the brain that secretes hormones, which then produces melanocyte-stimulating hormone. This hormone flows through the bloodstream to the melanocytes, which makes them able to produce more melanin. (The Science of Tanning)

Although the color problem is sometimes incorporated as not an issue, it is something that stills is the talk of the town from time to time. The Categorizing of persons based on their skin complexion, is more or likely extremely rooted in the black perception. Many years ago dating back to slavery, the problem of someone’s skin color has been used for revenues of controlling and division.

“Among African Americans, skin tone is an important physical characteristic that creates divisions in the community and affects the quality of life. Like gender, a person’s skin tone is a visible physical trait that others immediately notice during social interactions and use to form judgments” The Light skin versus Dark skin issue that has been haunting the black community for centuries is deeply rooted from the times of slavery. Because of the influence of white supremacy, mixed race children received better treatment which resulted in the formation of a social stratification within the black community that impacted how they were treated by white people as well as the way they were treated within their own community.

The readings that were read this week gave me the realization that people understand that appearance and matter socially, among the working class. The physical distinctiveness of African slaves is the key idea that the lighter you are, the better you are. Even today there are many social constructs within the African American community that you are uglier if you are dark skin. It also gives those who are light skin the idea that they are better and comes with a stereotype that light skinned blacks are “boujee.” I think it comes from slavery because those in who worked out in the fields were dark while those who were house slaves tended to be light skinned. Light skins also got better treatment from their master and and I believe that the social

The Color Complex: The Politics of Skin Color Among African Americans is one of the text used. This book was written by Kathy Russell, Midge Wilson, Ronald E. Hall in 1993 to inform readers of the color gap in how lighter skinned people of the black community are treated differently than those of a darker skin tone. It further explains how African Americans have been taught to see themselves based on their skin tone. This book was a valuable resource that it assisted in the understanding of the Black color line; its inception and how it created an environment of self segregation. While this text was helpful, it like many other text had limitations. One limitation was that the text does not present a counter argument to support another point

made fun of for cultural traditions whether it is the way we embrace our skin,

A study was done by CNN in 2010 regarding children’s bias on skin color. The interviewer asked two African American children which skin color they would prefer to have out of five choices, ranging from pale white to dark brown. Both children pointed to the two lightest skin colors on the spectrum. Saying that the only reason for their choice was, “Because it looks lighter than this kind...the way brown looks really nasty for some reason, but I don’t know what reason.” (Study: White and Black). Children of the African race wish to be white because of the bias they have heard in school, media, and from adults. Kids are conditioned to believe that being African is a negative trait, simply because when first discovering Africa, Europeans painted it in the negative light. Joseph Conrad, a novelist, wrote about a European first encountering the African lifestyle. He described the men as, “ a black and incomprehensible frenzy” (Conrad 17-18). Instead of embracing the culture, Conrad’s character instead mocked it. He made it seems as if these people were animals and seeing them all together at once was a circus act; sometimes hard to understand what is occurring, but fascinating. He also uses the simple word, “Ugly” to construe the image of the African and how he felt it was disgusting that the Europeans are related to this “prehistoric man”(Conrad 18, 28). It is media like this that enforce the idea upon African American children that white people are better, and white people are more civilized. While Africans are dirty, poor, and inferior. On the contrary, later within the video, a different girl was asked a similar question to her thought on skin color and responded, “I think it is kind of magical, because I think, like, we’re not all the same we’re different and it doesn't really matter what color you are.”(Study:

These racial projects have a purpose - to keep society following the same rules and expectations. In addition, gender plays a significant factor in these ‘racial projects’. The formation of stereotypes or and the coercion of women to have children as one of many examples. These ‘racial projects’ create the belief that women of color are disposable and that these bodies can be manipulated in areas like politics, economics, and law - which all intertwine together and impact negatively people of color by been more severe when it comes to their criminalization in the justice system. This brings to the forefront Cole’s article, “The skin I’m in”, when he explores the term “double-consciousness: how blacks experience reality through their own eyes and through the eyes of a society that prejudges them”. Sadly, racialized bodies live a double life in order to protect themselves from ‘racism’ and keep themselves emotionally and physical

A great many people are excited about parading the most valued shade of bronze in whichever implies possible.However, live in with exhausting ozone-layer, tanning the regular technique is not {any|isn't any} longer a choice. Tanning quaint little inns applications are used by a great many people to get the ideal tan. Be that as it may, these ways are buried in debates. Experiment with some tanning sustenances can be one of the most ideal approach to encourage the procedure.

We often connect ourselves to the world through our appearances. One of the first characteristics we notice about another human is the color of their skin. It is unavoidable, as the largest organ of the body, it covers and highlights our individual features and forms a protective wall against the elements. There is no escape from the social repercussions our pigmentation causes no matter what range of the very broad spectrum of color we fall into. I have never thought so much about the genetic and social evolution of skin and its properties until I read Nina Jablonski’s Living Color: The Biological and Social Meaning of Skin Color. This book encompasses, in great detail, how our skin has evolved, adapted and mutated throughout time and in what

Colorism is the prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group. Colorism has been one of the most prominent dividing factors amongst multitudes of ethnicities and cultures. Lighter skin has been associated with higher levels of intelligence, wealth, attractiveness, and more. As a result, those of darker complexions have undergone drastic and harmful measures in order to meet these restrictive beauty standards. Advertisements exhibit men and women with creamy white skin and silky straight hair. Companies have profited off of colorism by selling skin bleaching and hair straightening products. The damage colorism has created amongst communities physically and psychologically is deplorable.