To See or Not to See: Issues Surrounding the Social Meanings of Skin Color

Abstract

Skin color, one of the most conspicuous physical traits, encompasses complex social and cultural meanings and value judgments that can influence individuals’ lived experiences and social wellbeing in a profound way. In this article, the authors provide a brief overview of how skin color diversity evolved, its corresponding biological and sociocultural aspects, and how culturally constructed ideologies and perceptions of skin color may influence social interactions. They illustrate the importance of examining historical fallacies as a means to better understand the ramifications of skin color and argue that cultivating a clearer picture of issues underlying meanings of skin color in higher education will help to dispel misconceptions and prepare students and society to thrive in an increasingly diverse environment.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hsin-Yu Chen

a

Hsin-Yu Chen ([email protected]) is an adjunct assistant research professor of anthropology at Penn State. Her research focuses on attitudes toward the complex sociocultural meanings of skin color and associated behaviors from a cross-cultural comparative perspective.

Nina G. Jablonski

b

Nina G. Jablonski ([email protected]), whose research focuses on skin color, is the Evan Pugh University Professor of Anthropology at the Pennsylvania State University and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.