Committee Chair

Walker, Ruth V.

Committee Member

Deepak, Pratibha; Michael, Jaclyn

Department

Dept. of Psychology

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Colorism, a preference for lighter skin tones within and between racial or ethnic groups, impacts many non-White communities, especially those with a history of colonization (Rondilla & Spickard, 2007). I aimed to extend upon perceptions of colorism by exploring the intensity and frequency of colorism messages and how it affects the mental well-being of South Asian women in the U.S. and South Asia. Using Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997), I hypothesized that these messages are associated with self-objectification processes (e.g., skin tone surveillance, skin color satisfaction, internalization of skin color beauty ideals) predicting skin-lightening product use. Results of my structural equation model with South Asian women, as well as implications for interventions and clinical practice, will be discussed.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express sincere gratitude to my mentor, Dr. Ruth Walker, for her guidance and support throughout my entire thesis project. Thank you for the countless hours you have invested into me as your graduate student and provided towards my professional and personal growth. I am truly grateful to have had you as my advisor. I would also like to thank my other committee members, Dr. Pratibha Deepak and Dr. Jaclyn Michael, for giving their time and expertise into my thesis. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. Max Teaford for his unwavering support and encouragement throughout my time at UTC. Finally, thank you to the Scholarship, Engagement, the Arts, Research, Creativity, and Humanities (SEARCH) Award Program for funding my master's thesis.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2025

Subject

Colorism--Psychological aspects; Skin--Social aspects; South Asia--Civilization--Western influences; South Asian American women--Mental health

Keyword

SEM; colorism; cultural comparison; mental well-being; skin-lightening; South Asia

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xii, 80 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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