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‘Dying' to be White: The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South book cover

1st Edition

‘Dying' to be White The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

By Purnima Mehta Bhatt Copyright 2025
210 Pages 23 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India

210 Pages 23 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India

210 Pages 23 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India
Also available as eBook on:
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... Read more

List of Figures. Acknowledgements. 1. Obsession with fair skin 2.  Colorism in the ancient world 3.   Finding color prejudice in foreign travelers’ accounts 4. Origins and evolution of colorism in India 5.   Colorism in Hindu religion 6.   Ideals of beauty in classical Indian literature and art 7.   Colorism in popular Indian culture 8.   Penchant for fair skin in east asia 9.   Cosmopolitan whiteness in south and southeast Asia 10.   Colorism in Afro-American community and in Africa 11.   Fondness for fairness in the Caribbean and Latin America 12.   indigenous peoples of the world and the Roma 13.   Health effects of skin bleaching and voices of opposition 14. In conclusion. Bibliography. Index.

Biography

Purnima Mehta Bhatt is Professor Emerita of History, Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Hood College, USA.

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