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Colorism in Zanzibar A Qualitative Field Study on The Effects of Colorism on Women’s Identity and Ethnicity Construction Feven Tekie Department of Global Political Studies International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER) Two-Year Master’s Thesis, 30 Credits, January 2020 Supervisor: Margareta Popoola Examiner: Anne Sofie Roald Abstract This paper is a by-product of a minor field study conducted in Zanzibar, Tanzania during eight consecutive weeks in early 2019. The purpose of the study was to examine how colorism affects women’s identity and ethnicity construction through the research questions; how do women in Zanzibar experience colorism in their daily lives and; how does 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 high self-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 color was not a prerequisite factor to ethnicity but rather, shared land, religion, and history. Keywords: Colorism, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Identity, Ethnicity, Skin Color Bias, Internalized Racism, Identity Process Theory Word count: 20, 814 ii Acknowledgements There are many people involved in this journey whom I would like to thank. To begin with, I am forever grateful to the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Malmö University for granting me this Minor Field Study (MFS) scholarship. Without it, this research project would not have been feasible. To all the women I interviewed who so kindly devoted me their time, and the staff at The State University of Zanzibar who helped me in all my endeavors, I would like to give the biggest ‘thank you’. I also want to show gratitude to all of the people I have met along the way who has sent me articles, raised my awareness and enriched me with knowledge on colorism. Your help and insights have been irreplaceable. To my supervisor, Margareta Popoola, thank you for the many interesting conversations that have flourished, your guidance and your devotion. Asante sana Zanzibar, mpaka muda mwingine tutakapokutana iii Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 AIM AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................ 1 DELIMITATIONS .......................................................................................................... 2 CLARIFICATIONS ........................................................................................................ 2 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS ........................................................................................ 3 2. CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................ 4 CONCEPTUALIZING COLORISM ................................................................................... 4 RESEARCH LOCATION: ZANZIBAR .............................................................................. 6 3. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................... 8 MAIN FINDINGS .......................................................................................................... 8 RESEARCH GAP AND CONTRIBUTION ....................................................................... 12 4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................. 13 IDENTITY PROCESS THEORY ..................................................................................... 13 IDENTITY .................................................................................................................. 15 ETHNICITY AND ETHNIC IDENTIFICATION ................................................................. 15 5. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................ 17 PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION ........................................................................................ 17 RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................................... 17 INTERVIEWS ............................................................................................................. 18 OBSERVATIONS ........................................................................................................ 20 DATA ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................... 21 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY ..................................................................................... 22 RESEARCHER POSITIONALITY ................................................................................... 23 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ...................................................................................... 24 6. FINDINGS ......................................................................................................... 25 7. DISCUSSION .................................................................................................... 43 COLORISM AS A THREAT ........................................................................................... 43 COLORISM’S EFFECTS ON THE ‘SELF’ ........................................................................ 44 COPING METHODS .................................................................................................... 50 8. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 53 CONCLUDING REMARKS ........................................................................................... 53 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH .................................................................. 54 9. REFERENCE LIST .......................................................................................... 55 APPENDIX I .............................................................................................................. 62 APPENDIX II ............................................................................................................ 68 APPENDIX III ........................................................................................................... 70 iv 1. Introduction Some scholars have argued that colorism is one of the decade’s most intense manifestations of ‘racial’ inequality (Burton, 2010: 443). As a global phenomenon that has persisted over centuries, expressions of colorism can today be seen worldwide among various cultures and nations. From booming skin bleaching industries in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, to the entertainment industry in the US and small-scale households globally. In countries throughout Africa, such as Nigeria and Zambia, statistics show that over half of the female population use skin bleaching products (Blay, 2011: 5; World Health Organization). American actress Zendaya expressed that she held a privilege by being light-skinned in American popular culture and stated “I am Hollywood’s, I guess you could say, acceptable version of a Black girl, and that has to change (Danielle, 2018). When winning ‘Miss Algeria 2019’, Khadija Ben Hamou, endured massive racist criticism, including from Algerians, for her facial features and being ‘too dark’ (BBC, 2019b; Morocco World News, 2019). Kenyan Oscar-winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o, shared that her experiences of colorism brought her to feeling unworthy as a child, because of her darker skin color (BBC, 2019a). After dissecting a lack of existing academic research of the effects on identity construction, as a consequence of the above-mentioned acts of internalized racism, the idea for this study came into effect. This master’s thesis was partially conducted in Zanzibar, Tanzania where the data collection took place in early 2019. Although more known for its’ turquoise waters, paradise beaches and as the birthplace of Freddie Mercury, Zanzibar holds a rich history with inhabitants originating from various corners of the world. As a former colony and slave-trade hub in the region, colorism in Zanzibar becomes particularly significant to study, as colorist ideas relate strongly to both colonization and slavery (Haywood, 2017: 762). Aim and Research Questions The research paper aims to explore how colorism is experienced by women in Zanzibar and how it affects their identity and ethnicity construction. To achieve this aim, the following research questions will guide the inquiry; how do women in Zanzibar experience colorism in their daily lives
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