Colourism as Postcolonial Legacy: Media (Under)Representation and Glorification of Eurocentric Beauty Standards in Nigeria

ADITYA WIBOWO W, Treviliana Eka Putri, S.IP, M.Intsec

2021 | Skripsi | S1 ILMU HUBUNGAN INTERNASIONAL

Nigeria sudah lama merdeka dari penjajahan Inggris sejak tahun 1960. Namun, warisan dari penjajahan oleh Inggris dalam bentuk colourism masih ada dan sama berbahayanya akan penjajahan fisik. Colourism memiliki banyak pengertian, tetapi, colourism dapat dimengerti sebagai diskriminasi berdasarkan warna kulit seseorang. Isu colourism diperparah oleh media di Afrika yang mengadopsi standar kecantikan Eropa. Kedepannya, hal ini dapat berujung kepada alienasi terhadap kultur di Africa. Ditambah lagi, perusahaan multi-miliar asal negara Barat juga mengeksploitasi, bahkan menimbulkan penderitaan fisik, POC di Nigeria atas keinginan mereka untuk menjadi putih. Skripsi ini akan menjelaskan bagaimana isu colourism telah difasilitasi oleh media, bagaimana hal ini memicu colonial mentality, dan apa saja dampak dari permasalahan ini.

Nigeria is no longer under British colonial ruling since 1960. However, the legacy of British colonial ruling, in a form of colourism still lingers and is as deadly as the formal form of colonisation. Colourism has various understandings, nevertheless, the term colourism can be narrowed down as a form of preferential treatment and/or discrimination on the basis of one skin colour. In contemporary Nigeria, the issue is being aggravated by African media and entertainment (E&M) industry that is heavily influenced by Eurocentric beauty standard. Not only that, this too caused the worsening of colonial mentality of Nigerians that might lead to alienation of African culture in the longer run. On top of this, Western multi-billion corporations too exploited, and to an extent harm, POC in Nigeria for their desire to be White. This thesis will explore how the issue of colourism is being facilitated by the media, how it fosters colonial mentality, and what are the implications of this problem.

Kata Kunci : Colourism, Nigeria, Colonial Mentality, Skin Bleaching, Skin Lightening, Western Media and Pop Culture