Understanding colourism among young people in the UK

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Summary Colourism, skin shade prejudice in which light skin is privileged over darker skin shades, affects the life chances of people of colour, including their educational achievement, job prospects and relationship opportunities (Hunter 2002). The prejudice occurs within and between racialised groups. Although its widespread impacts have been documented in US studies, it is a relatively under-investigated facet of racism and one that has been largely overlooked in UK research. The proposed programme will push the frontiers of colourism research in the UK, exploring the differential impacts of colourism on secondary school students nationally.Specifically, the research will illuminate the ways in which young people understand, negotiate and/or perpetuate colourism in the UK. Taking an intersectional approach, it will investigate the extent to which colourism is recognised, and its gendered impact on 11-18 year olds of different skin shades, ethnicities, religions and social classes. It will also investigate how it affects their self-esteem and mental health. One key aim is to inform debates about colourism in the UK, with a particular focus on how it affects young people studying at secondary schools. Another aim is to reduce stigma about dark skin by developing strategies designed to disrupt skin shade prejudice.There are three central research questions: How do young people in the UK experience colourism? How does its extent and impact vary between groups? How is colourism understood and negotiated? The subsidiary research questions ask: How does a child's age, gender, ethnicity, skin shade and social class affect their experiences of colourism? What impact does colourism have on the self-esteem and mental wellbeing of young people in the UK? How do young people and their peers help to perpetuate colourism? What impact do families, teachers and the media have on young people's understandings and experiences of colourism?MethodsThe mixed-methods research will involve focus groups and interviews with secondary school students in London, Bristol and Manchester; focus groups with staff; interviews with parents; and a survey of young people throughout Great Britain. The focus groups and interviews will seek to establish how young people understand and negotiate colourism and the forms the prejudice takes within different schools. The research will include a participatory element in that a student advisory group will help shape the research and impact strategy. Parents will be interviewed to allow for an exploration of how ideas about colourism are negotiated between generations and within families. The qualitative research will inform the design of a survey of 1000 secondary school students, aged 11-18, in England, Scotland and Wales, conducted by a specialist research agency. The survey results will be used to provide an indication of the prevalence of colourism and its impact on young people of different ethnicities, skin shades, genders, social classes and sexualities.ImpactThe programme will raise awareness about colourism, how it is perpetuated and how it affects young people. It will support UK colourism research, facilitate international collaborations and inform and influence efforts to challenge colourism. It will lead to exhibitions to raise awareness about the prejudice at King's and venues in London, Manchester and Bristol that showcase students' artwork on skin shade alongside relevant extracts from student narratives. It will also lead to school resources designed to challenge colourism, which will include an animation produced in conjunction with an animation company and an artist of colour with input from young people. It will lead to the establishment of an international network to study colourism and facilitate the establishment of an agenda-setting colourism research centre.ReferencesHunter, Margaret. 2002. 'IF YOU'RE LIGHT YOU'RE ALRIGHT'. Gender & Society, 16(2): 175-193.