SOCIOCULTURAL INFLUENCES ON SKIN COLOR IDEALS AND SKIN WHITENING PRACTICES AMONG WOMEN IN KULIYAPITIYA, SRI LANKA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17501/27059901.2026.4103Keywords:
colorism, skin whitening, skin color ideals, semi-urban Sri Lanka, beauty laborAbstract
This qualitative study examines the sociocultural influences shaping skin color ideals and skin whitening practices among women in Kuliyapitiya, a semi-urban area in the Northwestern Province of Sri Lanka. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by exploring how colonial legacies, family expectations, media representations, marital norms, and economic realities intersect in women. This research critically examines women’s conceptualizations of skin color, the everyday pressures that drive whitening practices, the associations between white skin and marriageability, relationship security and social mobility, and the reasons why women continue to engage in these practices despite awareness of health risks. Data were generated through 25 in-depth interviews with women aged 18 and above, selected through purposive and snowball sampling to ensure diversity in age, marital status, socioeconomic background, and occupation. The interviews were conducted in Sinhala, audio-recorded with consent, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that fair skin is constructed as a hegemonic ideal that symbolizes beauty, purity, modernity, and personal worth, while dark skin is associated with dirt, rural labor, and lower status. Women face intense pressures from family, peers, school memories, and media such as television, Facebook, Instagram, and Tok-tok, which reinforce skin whitening as a necessary strategy to obtain marriage proposals, family acceptance, respect in the workplace, and social mobility. Although participants demonstrated high awareness of serious health risks, including skin burns, skin thinning, hormonal imbalances, and cancer, they continue to use it because social normalization and economic constraints have made cheap creams the only accessible option. The study concludes that skin whitening is not a singular cosmetic choice but a deeply embedded sociocultural strategy for survival and advancement in semi-urban Sri Lanka. This research provides context-specific insights into colorism and contributes to broader global discussions on beauty, gender equality, and postcolonial body politics.
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