Politics of ‘Othering’ in Image and Space:From Skin Color to Underneath the Skin

주승혜 건국대학교 GLOCAL(글로컬)캠퍼스 스토리앤이미지텔링연구소 2016 스토리&이미지텔링 Vol.12 No.-

In this paper I focus on the politics of othering in image and space imbedded in Colorism. In the twenty-first century the problem of race matters, but the problem of color still matters in multi-cultural, sociopolitical, and economic areas because power of whiteness constantly produce and reproduce prejudice and discrimination on image and space by the politics of othering in Colorism and white nationalism. Even last a few decades the sociological approach to Colorism has been extended in various ways, it is said that the researches on this field of skin color and Colorism are in its infancy. The problem of color and Colorism based on skin color tone has been deeply involved Slavery and Jim Crow segregation in the history of the United States. The One drop rule is one of the representative laws to alienate “others” by the politics of othering to maintain “pure whites” “underneath the skin” as a social control. The brown bag test in blue-Vein society of black community is also shown as color prejudice and discrimination manifested by the power of whiteness/white supremacy. Analyzing and evaluating color ideology in Colorism as an exploitative system would help to reveal the power of the dominant culture and ideology as manifested in Colorism. Eliminating the color line in the “color cast” is to make on race different people of color in the global world.

Shades of Race and Color : The Recognition of Colorism among University Students in Korea

주승혜 건국대학교 GLOCAL(글로컬)캠퍼스 스토리앤이미지텔링연구소 2019 스토리&이미지텔링 Vol.17 No.-

This paper tries to diagnose Korean university students’ perception of color culture/colorism(anticolorism) based on skin color. It is the goal and challenge of this study to research multicultural capability/perception, value of life, identity, equality consciousness associated with color-coded culture. Throughout history, we have created the story and image of color. The way we perceive varieties of color has become the way we view the world. It is not only the story of colors/color culture but also the story of the power relationship of whiteness. The image and symbolism of color can vary depending on the context of culture and circumstances. A better understanding of shade of race/color helps facilitate recognizing prejudice and discrimination in color-coded culture of colorism in society. Colorism, one of the recurring themes throughout the history of the human race should not be represented and practiced in Korean society as it has been in skin color stratification associated with imperialism and white nationalism. For a better culture capability to deal with the multicultural diversity and deconstruct colorism(pigmentocracy), this study researches and diagnoses the main cause and effect of colorism(anticolorism). The data for discussing the perception of colorism among Korean university students was accumulated through questionnaires conducted with 631 university students between September and December 2016. Korean university students ages 19-25 each answered ten questions as follows: Perception of colorism and racism (questions 1-2), perception of their own skin color and preference (questions 3-7), presence of discrimination by color and direct/indirect experience (questions 8-9), existence of colorism and main causes (question10). It is hoped that this research will help bring attention to the need for more research on colorism as a measure for multicultural capabilities and education on the subject for Korean university students facing muticultural society.

Another Part of Whiteness: A New Culture Beyond Left and Right

주승혜 한국현대영미드라마학회 2012 현대영미드라마 Vol.25 No.2

Lillian Hellman as a major American playwright, screenwriter, and memoirist has been called “the institution of conscience” or icon of conscience by her private actions and public statements on socio-political issues. She consistently made statements for conscience and actions for what she believes in her plays and her life against the ideology of Whiteness and pseudo-patriotism/McCarthyism. Her heroines/heroes are Hellman’s portrayals of what it means to live a “noble life” and the attitude of her life. In this paper, I analyze the roots of her social conscience and responsibility that reveal her identity. Hellman reports and remembers people who have dreamed of a better world and who have been physically and psychologically wounded. Sara and Kurt Müller in Watch on the Rhine, the white heroine and hero as Hellman’s personae fight against whiteness. Through the analysis of the actions of Hellman’s personae, I discuss what fascism is and what is the identity of American/Americanism. The white author, Lillian Hellman’s heart is against whiteness, which is revealed in her life and written works. On the one hand, whiteness with color-coded multiple position has been used as a tool to analyze prejudice, discrimination, and obsession based on the conception of the color white and skin color. On the other hand, in socio-historical discourse, whiteness has been used with a similar meaning to the ideology of racism as a color-coded stratification in white dominated culture by the power of media and advertisers. Whiteness functions in culture and politics as being closely related to symbolized and racialized colors as an ideological trend. In her written works and life, Hellman stood against an oppressive institution of whiteness as an ideological trend.

Politics of ‘Othering’ in Image and Space

Joo, Seung-hye(주승혜) 건국대학교 스토리앤이미지텔링연구소 2016 스토리&이미지텔링 Vol.12 No.-

In this paper I focus on the politics of othering in image and space imbedded in Colorism. In the twenty-first century the problem of race matters, but the problem of color still matters in multi-cultural, sociopolitical, and economic areas because power of whiteness constantly produce and reproduce prejudice and discrimination on image and space by the politics of othering in Colorism and white nationalism. Even last a few decades the sociological approach to Colorism has been extended in various ways, it is said that the researches on this field of skin color and Colorism are in its infancy. The problem of color and Colorism based on skin color tone has been deeply involved Slavery and Jim Crow segregation in the history of the United States. The One drop rule is one of the representative laws to alienate “others” by the politics of othering to maintain “pure whites” “underneath the skin” as a social control. The brown bag test in blue-Vein society of black community is also shown as color prejudice and discrimination manifested by the power of whiteness/white supremacy. Analyzing and evaluating color ideology in Colorism as an exploitative system would help to reveal the power of the dominant culture and ideology as manifested in Colorism. Eliminating the color line in the “color cast” is to make on race different people of color in the global world.

Shades of Race and Color : The Recognition of Colorism among University Students in Korea

Joo, Seung-hye(주승혜) 건국대학교 스토리앤이미지텔링연구소 2019 스토리&이미지텔링 Vol.17 No.-

본 연구는 스킨 컬러 설문조사를 중심으로 현재 한국사회가 직면하고 있는 다문화사회, 글로벌 컬러리즘, 세계가 직면하고 있는 문화, 경제, 사회정치 전반에 나타나는 현상으로서의 컬러리즘의 문제점에 대한 이해와 더불어 피부색을 중심으로 한국 대학생의 컬러리즘 인식에 대한 진단을 목적으로 한다. 설문의 제1세트에서는 한국 대학생의 컬러리즘(Colorism)이란 단어자체의 인지도(Yes/No)와 인종과 피부색을 어떻게 인식하고 있는지를 탐구하고자 했다. 제2세트에서는 자신의 피부색에 대한 인식(Black/Red/Yellow/White), 가지고 싶은 피부색, 피부색톤 선호도(Lighter or darker)와 그에 따른 노력, 매력적인 피부색에 대한 질문항목으로 컬러리즘의 내재화의 확인을 목표로 했다. 제3세트에서는 피부색에서 기인된 차별경험(Yes/No)과 차별에 대한 직접/간접 경험에 대한 질문으로 컬러리즘에 의한 편견, 선입관, 차별사례를 분석하고자 했다. 제4세트에서는 우리사회에 컬러리즘의 유무(Yes/No)와 Yes로 응답한 경우 그 원인에 대한 질문항목으로 한국 대학생들이 인식하는 컬러리즘의 원인을 분석하고자 했다. 인종을 피부색으로 나타내는 한국 대학생들의 인식에서 나타나는 바와같이 인종과 피부색은 함께 연구되어야 한다. 상대적으로 피부색에 대한 차별 경험이 적은 것으로 나타나는 우리사회에서 피부색에 기초한 컬러리즘에 대한 인지도가 매우 낮음에도 불구하고, 밝은 피부톤에 대한 선호도가 높은 까닭은 무엇인가? 그것은 흰 피부가 경제적 부와 문화적 세련미, 더 나아가 미의 상징으로 뷰티비지니스, 화장품 산업 등 막대한 광고비, 미디어를 통해, 그러한 이미지와 상징성이 확대 재생산되기 때문은 아닌가? 역사적으로 백인성의(whiteness) 이데올로기와 함께 인종이란 용어는 지식의 착취적, 지배이데올로기의 억압적 체제를 실행하는데 사용되어져 왔다. 글로벌 컬리러즘의 문제는 표면적으로는 사회문화적 이슈로 인식되기 쉬우나 컬리리즘이 경제영역에까지 확장되는 파급적 효과에 대해 사회 과학적, 경제학적 접근이 요구된다. 한국의 컬러리즘은 서구의 컬러리즘과 그 역사와 문화 환경 등 그 배경이 다르기 때문에 그 특수성을 고려한 연구와 문화정책이 시행되어야 한다. 글로벌 컬러리즘의 영향력 아래 외국인 유학생,노동자, 결혼이민자 등 우리 사회의 소수자들이 당면할 수 있는 불이익을 국가 통계로 시각화하는 것은 이들을 포용하기 위한 정책수립을 위한 선결 과제이다. 현시점에서 한국사회의 컬러리즘 관련 정보를 수집, 분석하는 것 역시 한국인의 문화수용능력 향상을 위한 전제에 일보진전이 될 것이다. 제국주의의 야만의 역사 속에서 컬러리즘과 백인성(White nationalism)의 역사가 어떻게 인종과 컬러의 베일에 싸여져 왔으며, 컬러리즘이 지금도 어떤 패러다임으로 지속되고 있는가를 이해하는 것은 세계시민으로서 갖추어야할 필수 지식이다. 다문화사회의 문턱에서 균형 잡힌 조화와 평등, 평화로운 세계문화에 기여하며 함께하기 위해 컬러문화에 대한 자료수집, 연구, 교육이 필요하다. This paper tries to diagnose Korean university students’ perception of color culture/colorism(anticolorism) based on skin color. It is the goal and challenge of this study to research multicultural capability/perception, value of life, identity, equality consciousness associated with color-coded culture. Throughout history, we have created the story and image of color. The way we perceive varieties of color has become the way we view the world. It is not only the story of colors/color culture but also the story of the power relationship of whiteness. The image and symbolism of color can vary depending on the context of culture and circumstances. A better understanding of shade of race/color helps facilitate recognizing prejudice and discrimination in color-coded culture of colorism in society. Colorism, one of the recurring themes throughout the history of the human race should not be represented and practiced in Korean society as it has been in skin color stratification associated with imperialism and white nationalism. For a better culture capability to deal with the multicultural diversity and deconstruct colorism(pigmentocracy), this study researches and diagnoses the main cause and effect of colorism(anticolorism). The data for discussing the perception of colorism among Korean university students was accumulated through questionnaires conducted with 631 university students between September and December 2016. Korean university students ages 19-25 each answered ten questions as follows: Perception of colorism and racism (questions 1-2), perception of their own skin color and preference (questions 3-7), presence of discrimination by color and direct/indirect experience (questions 8-9), existence of colorism and main causes (question10). It is hoped that this research will help bring attention to the need for more research on colorism as a measure for multicultural capabilities and education on the subject for Korean university students facing muticultural society.