In
reading the course text "Globalization", we read a chapter on the
market trends in skin lightening and how they are targeted to different
classes. There has been an increase in the demand and diversity of skin
lightening products offered in different countries due to the increase of
globalization. For example, in India before 1991 there was about only two
options for skin lighteners and now there are thousands. Technology has allowed
for online forums to take place and here women have the chance to discuss what
products works best for them. This is not just one race that feels this way
about skin lightening. It is found all over the world: East Asia,
Latin America, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, North America, and Europe. I find
it both disturbing and curious that skin is thought of by many races as a type
of fixed capital. Never before have I thought of my skin as anything but skin,
and thus the reason I find this topic intriguing. It surprises me that women
with beautiful dark skin are willing to harm it for the chance at looking what they perceive as superior. Most of these products contain harmful ingredients such as mercury!
Additionally, I found it extremely interesting that skin lightening is also
happening in middle aged white women. Now that I have this information I view
the issues with women and equality in a more thoughtful manner.
Skin
lightening has been around since the 1850’s and has seen a growth in the last
decade or two due to the increase in globalization. Although skin lightening is
highly globalized it is also very decentralized being marketed today to different
socioeconomic classes, ages, ethnicities, and more. Today, markets are being penetrated through
the use of technology specifically in online forums. This has allowed for women
to express to online viewers what products work best for them, impacting
millions of women world wide. This concept is similar to another practice used
by Japanese women pertaining to their eyelids. Many believe that the fold found
on eyelids as being beautiful and go about harmful ways of getting it, just as the
skin whitening being toxic. In order to get the crease in the eyelid they can
either have surgery and/or use a special glue that requires prodding at eye
ball with a sharp stick for application. It seems that media in both instances
has allowed for the obstruction of one’s body in order to look a certain way.
These two concepts are different in that there seems to be no tie between the
eyelids and class where as skin lightening is.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the fact that no one should ever have to alter their appearance to better themselves in society, but because we live in a world that values beauty, it is hard to do so. The media and particularly beauty advertisement commercials are constantly putting pressures on individuals by seeking out glamorous models and or actors to endorse their products. For example, Victoria Secret use slender and fit models, that defines what most of us view as beautiful, to advertise their products, but never have they did the opposite. Another such example is seen in South Korea, in which the society pressures their people to "become" beautiful through cosmetic surgery. This pressure is caused by the impression that if one is not beautiful it would be difficult for them to thrive.
ReplyDeleteCheck out this video on Korean People and Plastic Surgery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMRsdpNnojc
One of the first things that came to mind when I was reading this chapter was the notion of tattoos. Now, there are a lot of obvious differences between the two practices, in that tattoos are significantly more personalized, but they do both fall under the topic of body alteration. A lot of people get tattoos of something meaningful, but many others get them for social purposes. It gives an edge to seemingly normative people. I think the food for thought that I'm getting at is where body alteration goes from being self expression to being detrimental and part of societal assimilation. For a long time, tattoos were thought of as only tribal, and for a long period time after that, it was something that only military members and people in jail got. As body alteration becomes more and more popular, I can definitely imagine the line becoming greyed out between what is self expression and what is assimilation.
ReplyDeleteI think these acts comes down to culture of that location perception of what a person must look like to in order to demonstrate that they are wealthy or high class citizen. There are cultures all over the world and throughout time that have body modification practices such as body insertions, neck rings, and feet binding in order to show there place in society. These practices were only removed when either that culture didn't view it as appropriate anymore or accepts a different appearance of beauty to replaces it. America's media portrays the epitome of beauty and status through magazines showing on the cover of celebrities titled hottest man in America or most beautiful woman in America. All this is done in order to establish a visual difference between successful people and unsuccessful people.
ReplyDelete