Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
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Colorism, an issue that can be dated back thousands of years ago, is an issue of big importance in the present day. People will often compare it to racism, and although it has its similarities, it...Show moreColorism, an issue that can be dated back thousands of years ago, is an issue of big importance in the present day. People will often compare it to racism, and although it has its similarities, it is not the same. There is a global preference for lighter skin, which affects people not only socially, but also economically. The color of one's skin affects their day-to-day life and is other than skin tone, strongly connected to gender and class. Specifically looking at Asian societies, the preference for a lighter skin has existed for a long time, but got stronger and developed further ever since Western colonization and their ideas of race and skin color. In the modern day these skin color ideals keep getting reinforced, not only by Western influences, but also by inter-Asian influences. The idea of "beauty" in Asia is having a lighter skin tone and even having certain Western facial features, as their desire is to look like "high-class Asians" (and thus not necessarily to look white). These beauty ideals keep getting reinforced by media and popular culture, and has a big impact on Asians, especially young Asian women. This causes many Asians to bleach their skin, sometimes even when they know it can be harmful to their physical health as they believe the benefits of having a lighter skin outweighs the potential risks. Colorism is not an often talked about issue and is not a widely known topic, even though it affects so many people’s lives every single day. It is a complex concept that is intersectional and has many causes and effects.Show less
This thesis discusses how Paul Schrader visualised Mishima Yukio's distinct notions on beauty and death in the 1985 film 'Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters'.
This thesis focuses on two novels of early 2000s Beijing: "Beijing Doll" by Chun Sue and "Fucker" by Yin Lichuan. These authors are often labelled as 'beauty writers' and are therefore associated...Show moreThis thesis focuses on two novels of early 2000s Beijing: "Beijing Doll" by Chun Sue and "Fucker" by Yin Lichuan. These authors are often labelled as 'beauty writers' and are therefore associated with the a group of Shanghai-based authors. This thesis focuses on beauty and gender structures within these novels to find out if these authors are challenging the traditional patriarchal gender construction. This thesis also looks into the role of (domestic and international) publishers into the branding of these authors.Show less
This thesis analyzes the main factors which are contributing to the popularity of cosmetic surgery among Chinese women, focusing on social contexts, such as marriage and finding a job,...Show moreThis thesis analyzes the main factors which are contributing to the popularity of cosmetic surgery among Chinese women, focusing on social contexts, such as marriage and finding a job, globalization and its outcomes such as the influence of mass media and South Korea. To understand these factors this thesis dives into the concept of beauty by understanding what it means to be beautiful in China throughout history and who ultimately defines it. It is argued that there has been a change of beauty standard in China, meaning that the steps of obtaining beauty changed from applying make-up and wearing certain hairstyles and clothes to a whole new high level which can now only be obtained by cosmetic surgery. A number of factors are ‘defining’ the beauty standard of today, which is globalization, which can be seen as mass media and the popularity of South Korea, and China’s beauty economy which also contributes to higher standards in personal and professional success.Show less
