Date Approved

2018

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department or School

Communication, Media and Theatre Arts

Committee Member

Keon Pettiway, Ph.D., Chair

Committee Member

Lolita Cummings Carson, M.A., APR

Committee Member

Raymond Quiel, Ph.D. March 15, 2018 Ypsilanti,

Abstract

Colorism is not a Black-White or dark issue; it is a global issue that has emerged into a dynamical power force dividing people from people and, in turn, people from self. It is not solely subjected as a battled issue in America, but it is a global phenomenon where support is gained from all corners of the world—resulting in a worldwide denigration. Psychological and physiological turmoil comes in forms of anxiety, depression, reduced wages, loss of self, and privilege. The blinding processes of colorism through the effects of social media advertisements is a two-way communication process. Through a systematic analyzation of a social network-led campaign of the Visibly Fairer product by Nivea, a renowned body-care brand, colorism is assessed as a manipulative, global cultivation that is used as a business model to drive consumership. The circuit of culture is used to thoroughly explicate an in-depth exploratory view of two campaigns from the perspective of the producers and the receivers. The internalization process of manipulative business models, such as Nivea, has internal and external effects on the public. Larger implications are for researchers to further investigate articulatory models to expand theories of public relations from critical cultural studies perspectives.

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