Graduation Semester and Year
2019
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Eusebius Small
Abstract
Colorism is a complex phenomenon which was birthed by racism and uses the observable human characteristic of skin color as a metric for worth in society. Colorism as practiced since its inception demonstrates intolerance for African features and promotes acceptance based on the approximate physiological similarity to a European standard. This social construct has served as a divisive wedge in the Black community. The issue is further complicated by the dynamics of interpersonal beliefs and group socialization in a variety of settings. Skin bleaching, tanning, and chemical hair straighteners all have the potential risk to impact physical health that causes cancer and even death. The purpose of this qualitative dissertation was to understand the psychosocial and physical health impacts on African Americans related to discrimination based on skin color. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was utilized to collect data from six men and six women in a southern state that range from age 18-30. The essence of this phenomenon generated six themes: 1). Perceptions of Colorism as “Being Black” in a Predominately White Society, 2). Perceptions of Colorism as a Disenfranchised Racial Group, 3). Perceptions of Colorism as Unidentified Trauma, 4). Perceptions of Colorism Between People and Family, 5). Perceptions of Colorism Origin, and 6). Resilience Despite Colorism. The themes denote the participants’ lived experiences with colorist people. It provides insight into racial socialization influencing intra-racial and inter-racial colorism impacts on physical health, mental, and social stratums. This study provides a contribution to the discipline of social work, it informs practice, policy, and provides direction for future research.
Keywords
African Americans, Colorism, Discrimination, Psychosocial, Physical health, Racial socialization
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Keyes, Latocia, "UNDERSTANDING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IMPACTS OF COLORISM: DISCRIMINATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS BASED ON SKIN COLOR" (2019). Social Work Dissertations. 176.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/socialwork_dissertations/176
Comments
Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington