Having light-coloured skin has been a key feature of societal appearance ideals for women in many parts of the globe, including Indonesia - the world's fourth most populated country. 

On this episode, we hear from CAR-collaborator Dr Ayu Saraswati, Associate Professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Hawaii to learn more about the light skin appearance ideal in Indonesia. We discover that the preference for lighter skin predates European(specifically Dutch) colonialism and that, lighter skin is not always considered better if the racialized group is not also positioned as desirable. Ayu also explains why the promotion of skin lightening products and the promotion of skin tanning products are not two sides of the same coin, though both are rooted anti-blackness. 

To find out more about CAR, follow us: 
On Twitter: twitter.com/CAR_UWE 
On Instagram: www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ 
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AppearanceResearch

To read more about the work CAR is doing in Indonesia:
https://www.researchprotocols.org/2022/1/e33596
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-021-11770-0

To find out more about Ayu, visit:
https://drsaraswati.com

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Thank you! The CAR podcast team xx

Credits:
Music by Sian Evans & John Landau: toplinefilm.com 
Episode hosted by Nadia Craddock and Maia Thornton
Episode developed and produced by Nadia Craddock

70: Racism, Colourism, and Constructing Whiteness in Indonesia

Appearance Matters: The Podcast! Is the official podcast of the Centre for Appearance Research - a world leading research centre investigating body image and appearance psychology research, based at the University of the West of England in Bristol, UK.

Hosted and produced by Nadia Craddock, Bruna Costa, Maia Thornton, and Abbi Mathews.

New music by: https://toplinefilm.com