Understanding the motivations behind deliberate lightening of skin among burkinabe women through a socio-anthropological analysis

Abstract

Deliberate lightening of skin among African women is a complex phenomenon that intersects with cultural identity, health, beauty, and societal influence. The scientific literature has scarcely explored a comprehensive approach by interviewing users of skin lightening products. This article aims to analyze, through a comprehensive approach, the motivations underlying the deliberate lightening of skin among Burkinabe women. The research encompasses a narrative literature review and a qualitative field study in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. It targeted 59 women, categorized into current users, former users, and non-users of skin lightening products. Individual interviews and focus groups were utilized to gather qualitative data. The comprehensive approach enabled contextualization of the phenomenon, focusing on personal and collective motivations, while adhering to ethical principles. Participants gived various motivations for deliberate lightening of skin, including the pursuit of beauty, seduction, and social valorization. The majority used fairthese products to achieve a lightly pigmented, equating it with beauty and allure. Some aimed to enhance their seductive capital or improve their social status. Reasons for discontinuing the practice included awareness of health risks, societal pressure, and unmet objectives. Non-users cited reasons such as attachment to their natural skin tone, health concerns, and financial constraints. Deliberate lightening of skin can be viewed as a strategy to increase various forms of capital: aesthetic, seductive, social, and symbolic. This practice reflects socio-cultural dynamics and environmental influences, emphasizing the role of the body as capital in contemporary society. The findings reveal a heightened awareness among women of their body as a multifaceted capital, convertible into other forms of capital under certain conditions.