This book examines the controversial global phenomenon of skin bleaching. It uses a social psychological approach to explain the motivations, behavior, and medical consequences of the practice, considering why some people use products to lighten their complexion.

Written by a world-leading expert in skin bleaching, the book takes a nuanced approach to understanding skin bleaching that looks further than the standard claims of low self-esteem, a form of self-hatred. It goes beyond looking at individual personality traits to consider the cultural norms, values, shared social meanings, and practices about race and skin color, showing how shared meanings from social representation guide people’s behavior in their culture. The book draws predominantly on research from Jamaica, but considers how skin bleaching is practised in different cultural contexts across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Chapters consider the history of race and skin color, how skin color and race are portrayed in popular culture, how skin color and race form two of some people’s social identities, and how skin bleaching has become an established social practice in many settings. It also looks at the consequences of skin bleaching and suggests policy responses that could help curb the practice.

The Psychology of Skin Bleaching will be highly relevant reading for students and scholars in the fields of psychology, Black and Caribbean studies, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, and health. It will also be of interest to professionals including psychiatrists and public health practitioners, and anyone interested in better understanding the psychological and bodily expressions of racialized discrimination and oppression.

Christopher A.D. Charles is a professor of political and social psychology in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on skin bleaching, crime and violence, election forecasting, and sports. He completed his PhD in psychology and his dissertation on skin bleaching at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and is one of the world’s leading experts on the topic, which he has been researching for 25 years. Professor Charles is also a Distinguished Scholar at the P.J. Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy, University of the West Indies, Mona. He is also a finalizing graduate student in epidemiology at Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University. Professor Charles is a regular contributor to public discussions in the Jamaican media and other Caribbean media. He has consulted with the BBC for their Question Time program in the Caribbean and with CNN for their Race in America series, and has interviewed with other international news agencies. He has also been a consultant to several Caribbean governments.