Eurocentric Standards

Even though we live in a world that always changes and advances, the media continues glorifying Eurocentric standards and ideals unto us in our everyday lives. Although the media is beginning to be more culturally and racially diverse, physical features and characteristics remain the same. Fair skin, light eyes, straight hair, thin bodies and thin noses are mostly seen in media, even though it’s “racially diverse”. Children growing up in this culture are learning that Eurocentric ideals are preferred and seen as more “beautiful”. People of darker skin are seen as lesser than and are pressured to follow these ideals. Some have gone to the extreme of bleaching their skin and changing their hair. All of this makes it difficult for people to accept …show more content…
Some go to the extent to use harmful skin whitening products and surgeries to get a more “western” appearance. A 2004 study of Synovate, global research company indicates that 50% of women in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the Philippines use skin whitening products. In the Philippines, they’ve become the top users of skin whitening products. In Asian countries, double-eyelid surgery is becoming popular due to the increasing acceptance of Eurocentric/ western standards. Also there’s been an increase of plastic surgery to get a “more defined” nose. Many see surgery as an “investment for the future for young Asian women.” The result of these surgeries is the major loss of “classic racial characteristics and identity.” Although most skin whitening products are safe, there are some possibility of skin allergies and health issues if used extensively. In addition, African American women use synthetic hair, relaxers and perms in order to tame their naturally curly hair. Altering one’s natural hair is become a custom in the African American community. Some darker skinned African Americans are known to using skin bleaching products in an effort to lighten their skin color. On top of that, some people with darker eye colors wear light colored eye contacts or have eye color surgery to feel more beautiful and accepted in …show more content…
In the documentary, “Dark Girls”, a character says “when you live so many years with people having certain judgements relative to your skin tone, you start to believe it.” In Asian societies, making your children aware (ex. weight, skin color, and etc.) of their appearance “flaws” throughout their life is accepted. Negative psychological effects of the enforcing of Eurocentric ideals are low self- esteem, bad body image, self-hate, colorism within own race, losing ones’ racial identity, mental health issues (ex. depression, anxiety, and etc.) developing eating disorders. In addition, people of darker than desirable skin may have difficulty finding a partner and job opportunities. Eurocentric ideals have become the standard of physical beauty and influence on what the opposite sex sees as desirable. A study on 15 African American teens, 100% of males preferred the more western looking African American women over Afrocentric looking females. An African America girl from “A Girl like Me” responded to this notion, “I felt like there was not any attention towards me because of maybe my skin color or because my hair was kinky.” Eurocentric looking models have affected women’s body and self- esteem when shown these kinds of images on a daily