Assessing Stereotypes Related to Skin Tone

Skin tone and related discrimination is a pressing issue in India. The resultant stereotyping is deep-rooted in the country and has historical causes across various cultures. This has directly led to the formation of labels and standards for men and women alike and has negatively impacted the self-esteem of numerous people. With a distorted self-concept, many resorts to rigorous beauty regimes. The current research attempts to explore the differences in perception of men between fair and dark skin tone women on various characteristics. The sample included 126 males in the age range of 18-20 years and a self-designed questionnaire consisting of 10 characteristics was developed with a rating scale of 1-10. Data were analyzed using SPSS and t for dependent samples was used to compare the perception of men towards dark and fair skin tone women on the 10 characteristics. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between dark and fair skin tone women as rated by the subjects, favoring the fair skin tone women on the mentioned characteristics.