70: Racism, Colourism, and Constructing Whiteness in Indonesia

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 Please share, subscribe, rate and review. It really does mean a lot. 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