Colorism Across Global Lines: Focus Study in the UAE

Catalog description

This course examines colorism as a pervasive form of discrimination that privileges lighter skin tones across and within communities. Students will learn about its historical origins, structural dimensions, and cultural expressions across a range of global contexts. They will explore how colorism operates alongside racism in shaping systems of inequality; how it shapes access to power, economic opportunity, education, and social mobility; and how it intersects with racism, classism, gender discrimination, and nationalism. Students will engage in fieldwork in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, interviewing shop owners and community members who engage in skin-lightening practices. They will also conduct site visits to high-end luxury beauty markets and interview service providers about their perceptions of colorism and beauty standards. Students will engage in conversations with community members working on issues of race, labor, and beauty culture in the UAE. For their final project, students will apply their insights to analyze the luxury beauty market, design a counter-colorism advertising campaign, or propose actionable responses to color-based discrimination at local or global levels. This course will be offered in January-Term 2026.