Colorism in Zanzibar - A Qualitative Field Study on The Effects of Colorism on Women's Identity and Ethnicity Construction

• Main Author: Tekie, Feven
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle (KS) 2020
• Subjects: Colorism; Zanzibar; Tanzania; Identity; Ethnicity; Skin Color Bias; Internalized Racism; Identity Process Theory; Social Sciences; Samhällsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-22911

This paper is a by-product of a minor field study conducted in Zanzibar, Tanzaniaduring eight consecutive weeks in early 2019. The purpose of the study was to examinehow colorism affects women’s identity and ethnicity construction through the researchquestions; how do women in Zanzibar experience colorism in their daily lives and; howdoes colorism affect their self-perception? The data was collected through seven semi-structured interviews with women in Zanzibar and observations. The concepts of identity and ethnicity saturated the study and the identity process theory (IPT) was used as a theoretical framework to analyze the inquiry. The findings suggest that colorist ideals were dominant in society as light and medium colors were more valued than dark. This was demonstrated by associating light and medium skin color, as well as relaxed and straight hair to “good” and “beautiful”. However, colorism proved to impact women in their daily lives to various degrees. Informants who grew up on the mainland admitted to being more affected and expressed feelings of unworthiness or praise, depending on skin color. Whereas women born and raised on Zanzibar, felt colorism affected their lives minimally, but nevertheless acknowledged the existing problems for many women of e.g. skin bleaching. According to the IPT, a strong sense of distinctiveness from mainlanders, a continuity in past and present identity and a highself-efficacy seemed to guard self-esteem against existing colorist ideals. Furthermore, inclusion to the Zanzibari ethnic identity proved not to be affected by colorism, as colorwas not a prerequisite factor to ethnicity but rather, shared land, religion, and history.