Oppressed Within the Oppressed: The Patriarchal Hegemonic Discourse of Colourism on Dalit Women in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj, Bangladesh

The biggest victims of colourism in Bangladesh are girls, who are victims of colour-based violence and suffer from a dark-black complexion. In general, Bangalee society is a dominating patriarchal society, which has been established through a hegemonic discourse. This study explores how and in what process this racist discourse has started in the society. Therefore, being born with only a black complexion, a family deals with long-term psychological problems. In addition to the so-called mainstream social system in Bangladesh, a detached and marginalized group living in Bangladesh is known as Dalits. They are primarily a neglected community, isolated from the mainstream. Among them, the condition of Dalit women is much more deplorable. Dark complexion women are experiencing the most exploitation, deprivation and neglect. The Dalit women are ‘Oppressed within the Oppressed’—they are forced to live a cursed life through a dark-black complexion from birth. This study focuses on how masculine authoritarian behaviours dominate the dark-black face of the Dalit girls in Bangladesh. A random sample-based interview has been conducted on Dalit people of Shahjadpur in the Sirajganj district to explore what kind of mechanism exploits the girls and how the literal meaning of ‘beauty’ is established in society.

Patanjali Ayurved Limited’s Skin Ailment Advertisement: What Have We Learnt?

On 7 January 2018, Patanjali Ayurved Limited (PAL) published a print advertisement (ad) mentioning dark complexion as a skin ailment. This ad caught the eye of the young generation of India who is intolerant towards any kind of discrimination. People started giving their opinion about this ad and the issue was picked on social media channels such as Twitter, online blogs, news sites, etc. Users of social media clearly expressed their unacceptance towards the content of the ad. PAL tried to pacify the crowd by sending their spokesperson’s reply on Twitter. Seeing the continuous negative response, Baba Ramdev, co-founder and brand ambassador of PAL, responded on the next day in order to bring the situation under control. In such a scenario, PAL is analysing the entire incident and planning to revisit its marketing communication strategy. PAL is thinking not only to avoid such a situation but also to devise a better crisis management strategy for the future.

Their American Dream

Centuries before W.E.B. DuBois named the colorline—i.e., racism—as the problem of the 20th century, skin color stratification was a persistent phenomenon. In 1983 Black feminist, scholar, and Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker termed “colorism” as “prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their [skin] color”. Using the tools of genealogy, I conducted a critical family history of my parents, Lem and Mae’s, pursuit of their American Dream. Such exploration digs deep to decipher the nexuses of a family’s evolution. Dr. Maya Angelou routinely shared stories about her past to impart the importance of embracing one’s history. For my parents, the American Dream meant opportunity, which included home ownership. Their American Dream began as African Americans in the United States’ Jim Crow south. Lem was a light-skinned man; Mae a dark-complexion woman. They met, married, and bought a small home in segregated Columbia, South Carolina. Bearing the cloak of oppression, my parents joined millions of southern Blacks in the Great Migration relocating to northern cities—my parents landed in Boston, Massachusetts. Throughout their journey, Lem and Mae reached back to their ancestors, and drew from within themselves to improve their circumstances.

The Politics of Race and Gender

Influenced by Che Guevara’s writings on revolution and self-transformation, the Young Lords launched the “revolution within the revolution”— a deliberate struggle to name and challenge manifestations of power dynamics, racism, sexism, and homophobia in their ranks. The trademark slogan of second wave feminism, “the personal is political,” articulated the challenge. Among the Lords, an increase in female membership propelled a fierce struggle against male chauvinism that well-positioned women to have their voices heard, leadership respected, and demands met. To that end, the group edited its program and platform; drafted rules against sexism; Denise Oliver was appointed to its formal leadership; and formed men’s caucus and women’s caucus to discuss gender oppression internally. Influenced by Franz Fanon, the Lords also challenged anti-black racism in the psyche of the oppressed, including widely used language that devalues curly hair, dark complexion, African facial features and the tendency among Puerto Ricans and Latinos to deny their ethnicity and blackness and distance themselves from black Americans. The Young Lords prioritized Afro-Latino leadership, including that of Felipe Luciano; theorized race ideology in Latin America; and made public a conversation about race that had been confined to hushed whispers among Puerto Ricans and Latinos.

Multiple miliary osteoma cutis treatment response to Q-switched Nd:YAG laser: A case report

Facial multiple miliary osteoma cutis is a variant of osteoma cutis usually occurring in women with a previous history of acne vulgaris. Successful ablative laser treatment has been reported using both CO2 and Er:YAG lasers among other invasive treatment modalities, like surgical removal. We report a patient with biopsy-proven facial multiple miliary osteoma cutis responding to non-ablative Q-switched Nd:YAG laser therapy. The patient had excellent cosmesis without textural changes or hypopigmentation despite her Asian background after three sessions over 6 months. Multiple miliary osteoma cutis is therefore now amenable to non-surgical non-ablative therapy by using Q-switched Nd:YAG laser therapy reducing the risk of textural changes and hypopigmentation, especially in dark complexion and high-risk individuals. To our knowledge, this treatment approach has not been previously reported.

DOES DARK COMPLEXION MATTER? A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SELECTED ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS FROM WATSONS AND GUARDIAN IN 2017

Purpose of the study:This study attempt to analyse the frame of online advertisements from Watsons and Guardian. Both companies utilized the similar storyline in advertising its products during the Hari Raya period, however, advertisement from Watsons had given rise to controversy and racial issue has been raised. Methodology:This study employed quantitative content analysis and qualitative textual analysis to ensure a more reliable finding in research. Main Findings:The finding reveals that advertisement from Watsons often framed women in a negative light by 1) Definingbeauty as being fair skinned, 2) Interpreting women’s quality of relationship correlates with the fairness of their skin, 3) Framing and judging dark skinned women as negative and unable to pursue their dream love life, and 4) providing skin whitening remedies to solve their problems. This contrasts with Guardian’s advertisement which was framed more neutral. Applications of this study:This study stressed the significance of business ethics and corporate responsibility.It is not uncommon when an advertiser exaggerates some characteristics of the advertisements in order to attract people’s attention. However, exaggerated advertisements might contain some misleading information which may influence the credibility and truthfulness of the then and future advertisements and hence could further affect the company negatively as consumers had lost confidence in the company. Novelty/Originality of this study: Most framing studies focused on types offrames, information/news sources and slants of frame, this study provides an in-depth analysis on the four framing functions suggested by Entman,which is less explored in the field.

Comprehensive Review of the Genetics of Albinism

Introduction It is important to understand albinism, since it is a disorder associated with visual impairment, predisposition to malignant melanomas, and social stigma. The main objective of this article is to review the genetics and biologic mechanisms of the non-syndromic albinism subtypes and to describe associated clinical manifestations. We also discuss research on its treatments. Methods A review of the published literature on albinism subtypes was performed, spanning basic laboratory research, published case reports, and experiences of people with albinism. Results Clear progress has been made in comprehending the causes of albinism; research has shed light on the complexity of the disorder and has led to the molecular classification of subtypes. Discussion Despite the increase in knowledge with regards to albinism, gaps still exist. It is important to continue the pursuit of unraveling the mechanism of the disorder and to monitor the frequency of the subtypes worldwide in order to aid in the development of treatments. Furthermore, disseminating knowledge of albinism is crucial for future progress. Implications for practitioners Albinism is a disorder characterized by hypopigmentation of the hair, skin, and eyes, with accompanying ocular abnormalities that remain relatively stable throughout life. The disorder is defined by a spectrum of pigmentation where albinism is more evident among individuals of dark complexion than their lighter-pigmented peers. Patients with albinism require protection against sun exposure and special resources to address visual impairments. When albinism patients are diagnosed and properly accommodated, they generally report a positive quality of life.

Caṇḍikā, Pārvatī’s Unwanted Self (c. 5th to 7th Century)

By assessing early Śaiva and literary sources, this chapter demonstrates how Kālarātri-Nidrā-Kālī, Durgā's early form, was assimilated and transformed by Śaivism from the 5th century onwards, in which Durgā eventually acquired co-identity with Pārvatī, the consort and inalienable other half of the great god Śiva. Her dark complexion, a genetic feature of the Vaiṣṇava Nidrā, the sister of dark-hued Kṛṣṇa, is explained within this tradition as Pārvatī's rejected black skin, a symbol of mystery and danger, that she removes from her body to acquire a fairer complexion. The emergent goddess is the antonym of Pārvatī, a warrior virgin who, though a protector of Dharma, nevertheless remains potentially dangerous, as her earliest form Nidrā-Kālī. In this way, the Śaiva tradition views attributes of antinomianism, potentially within Pārvatī, to be transferred to Durgā, now known as Caṇḍikā, the Fiery Lady, Pārvatī's unwanted self, thereby enlarging the conception of the latter to a binary deity, who like Śiva, incorporates a gentle as well as a fierce or bhairava aspect. The chapter also argues that the goddess's capital-creating aspect was heightened in Śaivism. Navamī, initially a day when the goddess was said to be born, became crucial as one of the occasions when capital could be most profitably accessed from the goddess. What we find being developed from the earlier conception of the Vaiṣṇava Durgā and acquiring greater sophistication within Śaiva mythological and ritual domains is the ability of her spiritual repertoire to function as a religion for managing times of state crises and for granting largesse and power.

Hypopigmented Mycosis Fungoides: Case Reports and Literature Review

Background: Hypopigmented mycosis fungoides is a rare variant of mycosis fungoides (MF) that usually has a predilection for young individuals with dark complexion. Objective: The aim is to describe new cases of hypopigmented MF with confirmed T-cell receptor gene rearrangement analysis. Methods: This article includes case reports and a literature review. Results: Three out of four hypopigmented MF patients had a positive TCR gene rearrangement. A fifth patient is reported who had hypopigmented mycosis fungoides and classical Pautrier microabscesses, for whom no TCR gene rearrangement analysis was performed. Conclusion: Although hypopigmented MF has a predilection for dark-complexioned populations, it can also affect Caucasian patients. In challenging cases, polymerase chain reaction can be a useful method for detecting early cases of hypopigmented MF.