Goon, Patricia, and Craven, Allison (2003) Whose debt?: Globalisation and whitefacing in Asia. Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context, 9.

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Abstract

This paper examines the popularisation of skin-whitening practices amongst 'non-white' cultures that has occurred in recent years, with relation to historical and colonial contexts. In the paper, we refer to the practice of skin whitening as a discourse of recognition and of 'repayment' of an historically-imposed value of 'whiteness'—both 'by' the subaltern, and in debt to, the subaltern. With regard to this, we also explore the growing popularity of the 'Eurasian' model and representative as one symptom of a postcolonial structure of commoditisation and consumerism which is still influenced by a colonial past. In making our arguments, we incorporate readings of the skin-whitening phenomenon through references to advertising and product literature, to debates about skin-whitening practices, and to constructions of 'Eurasians' in some cultural discourses.

Item ID:	5145
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1440-9151
Keywords:	skin-whitening, commodity, Eurasian, beauty, advertisements
Related URLs:	Publisher
Date Deposited:	31 Aug 2009 00:35
FoR Codes:	20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200205 Culture, Gender, Sexuality @ 20% 20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200206 Globalisation and Culture @ 20% 20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200202 Asian Cultural Studies @ 60%
SEO Codes:	95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9502 Communication > 950201 Communication Across Languages and Culture @ 40% 95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9502 Communication > 950204 The Media @ 40% 95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9502 Communication > 950205 Visual Communication @ 20%
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