From the video it is also clear that the illegal trade of skin bleaching products to counties and communities of Colour is significant. Despite banning the sale and resale of skin bleaching products in Europe, they are still widely available for purchase. This is because the production of skin bleaching products in Europe is allowed, as long as it is sold outside of Europe. This has led to the exportation of skin bleaching products to countries without bans, and their subsequent disguise and re-exportation to Europe, where they are sold illegally.

You can also view Tyra Banks’ 40 minute video interviewing black American women about their practice of skin bleaching of self and their children as young as four years.

Article Review: Body Image, Physical Beauty and Colour Among Jamaican Adolescents- Errol Miller (from Caribbean Sociology)

Introduction:

Miller’s article provides a report on the findings of a research conducted with urban adolescent Jamaicans on how they perceive their bodies and conceive of physical beauty in relation to their actual skin colour. Miller noted that historically in the Jamaican society, “…colour has been an important determinant of social niche, economic status and personal worth … for practically all of its history. Whiteness has become associated with the desirable and Blackness with the undesirable”.

Reports/ Evidence of Colour Discrimination in Jamaica:

In the 1940s Kerr wrote:

In Jamaica there is no colour bar and theoretically  any man of colour can go anywhere. But the Government is a white man’s Government and white people still have most of the positions of heads of departments and own much of the business enterprises. Most of these people would definitely not meet the coloured people on terms of equality. This means that there always exists the possibility of discrimination both in regard to jobs and personal snubs. The shops even prefer to have lightly coloured girls as assistants and advertise openly for them. The better positions in banks go to white people; therefore people feel the lighter the skin colour the better their chances of success.

Henriques also wrote on the matter in the 1940s:

The upper class is composed of whites and fair coloured people who monopolize  executive positions in the civil service, such positions as planters and the professions generally. He further claimed that although a black doctor may have the occupational qualification to be a member of the upper class he would not be accepted as such because of his colour.

However by the 1970s Miller argued that:

At the present time the Government could not be described as a white man’s Government, neither are the heads of Government departments mainly white people, nor do shops openly advertise for light coloured girls. In fact, pressure is brought to bear on private enterprise to employ black people in the better positions. The claim of racial equality is publicly accepted . However the situation at present is not a complete reversal of the 1940s trends. Economic power still resides to a great extent with the white and fair  groups and individuals within these groups do not generally accept black people as equals.

Main Research Questions:

1. How do maturing members of the society (in and around 1970) who have been forming their personalities perceive their bodies and physical beauty in relation to their skin colour?
2. Is there still (in and around 1970) a preference for whiteness and Caucasian features as reported by Kerr and Henriques of the 1940s?
3. How do Chinese adolescents who have been maturing (between the 1950s and 1970) view their bodies and conceive of their physical beauty?

Specific Research Questions:

1. What do you like about your body?
2. What do you dislike about your body?
3. What parts of your body would you change if it were possible?
4. Describe your idea of a handsome boy
5. Describe your idea of a beautiful girl
6. Describe what the average Jamaican looks like

Research Participants Classification:

The 475 secondary school students age 11 to 15 years who were born between 1951 and 1955 were classified into two groups:

1. The White to Black colour continuum, which comprised of six different shades (white, fair, clear, brown, dark, and black) and
2. The Chinese, Indians and hybrids of unions with Negroes

Core Characteristics of Body Image:

The features of body image were classified into three distinct categories: hair and facial features, body build, and general features and strength.

Research Findings:

• Facial and body build features are the most important ones of the body image
• Facial features appear to be cathected in a manner that is related to the colour of the subjects
• The colour relationship was not very evident when subjects were reporting satisfaction, but was most evident when they were reporting dissatisfaction and intense dissatisfaction
• White and Chinese subjects expressed relatively more satisfaction with hair than all others. Only a small amount of dissatisfaction was expressed by the fair group. However, dissatisfaction and intense dissatisfaction with hair increased  as the Black end of the colour continuum was reached
• The subjects having Caucasian hair type were satisfied with it, while those with Negroid hair were dissatisfied
• No white subject reported intense dissatisfaction with nose, while the highest percentages of intense dissatisfaction were reported by the dark and black subjects. The former group was expected to have straight noses, while the latter was not expected to have this feature. Cathexis of nose depends on the closeness of subjects’ nose to Caucasian standards
• The Chinese group responded in a manner similar to the white group about the matter of hair
• In the case of nose, however, the Chinese subjects reported in a manner similar to the darker groups. Chinese subjects cathect themselves within the same frame of reference as the subjects to the White Black colour continuum. Where typical Chinese features approach closely to Caucasian features, subjects cathect themselves positively, but where they differ they cathect themselves negatively
  
• Lips and colour were not frequently reported on by the subjects, but dissatisfaction with these features was only reported by the brown, dark, and black subjects
• Although these adolescents have been growing up at a time in the society when public attitudes are not discriminatory and in fact actively support the idea of the ‘equality of the races’, they still associate Caucasian features with the desirable and the Negroid features with the undesirable
• The six features that were the most popular markers of a handsome boy by 20 percent of the subjects across the seven colour groups were: hair, nose, colour, height, face, and physique
• Five features were common amongst 20 percent of the subjects from all seven colour groups about conceptions of a beautiful girl: hair, nose, face, shape, and eyes
• The average Jamaican described by subjects is basically Negroid in character, which is inferred from the description of hair, mouth, lips, colour, and physique. This is not surprising in light of the fact that approximately 90 percent of the population is of Negro origin
• The concept of the average Jamaican is very far removed from the concept of the handsome boy or beautiful girl. The six most frequently mentioned features used to describe the average Jamaican are the same as for the handsome boy. The average Jamaican is described as: Hair- bad, woolly, kinky, course; Nose- flat, big; Face- average; Colour-dark, brown; Height- medium, tall; Physique- well built, stout. The ideal handsome boy is described as: Hair- blonde, good, straight, wavy; Nose- straight; Face- good looking; Colour- fair, clear; Height- tall, medium; Physique- well built, good.
• The generalisation which it seems reasonable to make is that the average Jamaican is negatively conceptualised in facial features and colour, but positively conceptualised in terms of body build. Interpreted another way, one may say that the stereotype of the Negro is partially undesirable. It is undesirable in colour and facial features and desirable in body build
• The idea of the partial negativity of the concept of the average Jamaican is supported when the miscellaneous comments of the subjects were examined. These include: fools, vicious, crude, hooligans, illiterates, senseless and hideous, monkeys, dogs, dirty and childish, idiots and lazy.
• Both the physical description of the concept and general comments on personality and behaviour of the average Jamaican seem to indicate that it is more negative than positive
• Beauty is associated with Caucasian features and ugliness with Negroid features
• The subjects were growing up at a time when racial equality is extolled, yet their concept of beauty is to a great extent congruent with the ideas of beauty reported by Henriques and Kerr of the 1940s when colour discrimination was commonly evidenced
• White is not the ideal colour, as one would predict, but instead, Fair and Clear
• Although public attitudes are not at present discriminatory, the individual’s private conception of his body reflects a preference for Caucasian type features. Since the majority of subjects are Negroes or of Negro extraction, it is apparent that there is widespread dissatisfaction with such physical features as hair and nose
• The most important features of the body image are of two types: Racial features- hair, nose, colour, and eyes; and Developmental features- hands, legs, toes, and feet.

Miller’s findings support the rationals given by individuals who practice skin lightening in Jamaica that, “Perceptions of Beauty and Colour Privileging are the Root Causes of the Practice”. Although there is need to attend to the issue as a medical condition that can cost Jamaica millions, we should also take a comprehensive look at addressing the root causes.

The practice is very serious because it addresses common concerns about our yearning for beauty. During the period of the MOH’s campaign which denounced skin bleaching, then Minister, Hon. Horace Dally articulated the seriousness of the situation in the following way, “Skin bleaching has become a fast and risky way for young men and women to become beautiful.”

With the association with beauty, skin bleaching has become extremely popular. We all have a desire to feel and be perceived as beautiful, and as such my concerns about how to discourage people from it. We saw in  another article that health concerns weren’t enough to discourage bleachers. After all, doesn’t it make us feel better about ourselves and the way the world sees us? It seems like an uphill battle to me–trying to convince our citizenry to stop destroying their beautiful black skin when the color cards are staked up against them.

The root cause of contemporary skin bleaching practices–stigma and discrimination against Jamaicans of African decent–must be addressed if we are to ward off a skin cancer epidemic in our country. Skin cancer is reported as one of the major causes of death amongst Jamaican citizens and therefore it is just a matter of time before we have a full blown epidemic on our hands. We must therefore strive to change behavior by addressing physical, mental, and symbolic remnants of light-skinned superiority and dark-skinned inferiority which contributes to low self-esteem and confidence.

Our solution to the problem lies in our need to examine what is being done nationally to increase and inspire confidence about the beauty of the black skin and denounce the age old belief/ saying, “Nutten Black nuh Good !”

I know that skin lightening is not a new phenomenon in a world such as ours, which is driven by beauty. As a Jamaican female I was always exposed to skin lightening products–as a matter of fact a large number of Jamaicans can recall the Nadinola jars on our moms’ dresser tops or in the bathrooms.

It was not too long ago when I was a child–the 1980s has really flown by–when the Nadinola jar reigned supreme. Now is 2008–my daughter Taitu is 5 years–and it is evident that its gotta be more than Nadinola and Ponds. The ‘lighteners’ have turned ‘bleachers,’ this phenomenon, which was private and unnamed during my childhood is now very popular and public.

The bleachers are ‘white’ in color, they are no longer purely female–They are male and female: young people and full grown adults/ parents. The teacher was once a role model, now she too engages in skin lightening. None is exempt from the Skin Lightening Addiction, which is not recognized by any of the addiction response agencies.

The Chiney (Chinese) shops, located in every nook and cranny of the communities used by the poor, are said to be the main distributors of the forbidden products that are craved after by males and females in the Jamaican society. The products are so widely available, despite Government sanctions, that our in-school and out-of-school youth, especially of the inner-city, are characterized by pale faces, dark necks, and torsos.

I remember, in 2004, approaching a student of mine about the issue–stimulated by the strong urging of her class peers. She told me that her mother and aunt who lived with her lightened their skin, the products were readily available at home (just like the Nadinola was in the 1980s), and that her mother approved of her doing it. The young lady could not see any ills in skin lightening, only benefits, such as being more popular, and being seen as more attractive. This experience was eye opener for me, which propelled me to address the issue through video advocacy. Though my film is far from completion, I believe this one is a good precursor.

I believe, and it is my experience that skin lightening products are sought after for the following reasons:

1. Beauty- Jamaicans perceive a beautiful person to be a light skinned person. If you should listen to songs emanating out of our Dancehall, you will find the praise of the ‘browning’ (the woman of lighter hue)
2. Success- there is also a strong belief in Jamaican society that success, progress, and growth is associated with light color, and hence an infamous Jamaican saying, “nutten black nuh good,”
   
3. Fad- the American market is very influential in Jamaica. We watch their TV stations and suck in all sorts of things from their culture, which in turn influences our taste. If African Americans can lighten theirs, why can’t we? Hence the super strong skin lightening cream called the Michael Jackson is also available
4. Cool- some people think it kinda looks cool, especially if it is not overdone, thus enhancing their beauty or color in much the same way as make-up does
5. Skin Conditions- others argue that it cleans off spots, blotches, and bumps
6. Inferiority Complex- historians and social scientists identify it as remnant of our colonial past, where blacks were made to feel inferior and their features, including color were ridiculed
7. Denial of Opportunities- More than 90 percent of Jamaicans are of African decent, and they are the ones who are disproportionately affected by the denial of economic and social rights and justice
8. Confidence- there is a certain confidence that a light skinned Jamaican comes with–owing to experiences of privileging at different levels in the private and public spheres of society
9. Societal Acceptance- marginalized groups like the Jamaican poor and youth crave attention and acceptance from their peers, which they get when they lighten their skin.

This is the first Jamaican video that I got my hands on since expressing an interest in the issue in Summer 2007, when I was trained at the Video Advocacy Institute, Concordia University. I have since that time made attempts to commence my research in order to produce a 15 minutes video for public education amongst in-school students. I commenced the proposal but have not completed it. I completed the secondary research, but did not follow-up with a report. I found significant useful resources, I created useful resources, such as: a Questionnaire and Informed Consent Policy, which I am sure by now, you will realise need to be updated and made consistent to reflect changes in the situation and new information gained.