Colouring the Narrative: How to Use Storytelling to Create Social Change in Skin Shade Ideals in India (e-course)

 

Our e-course touches on the topics of colorism, skin-lightening product use, social marketing, gender equality, gender-based discrimination, and policy change to combat colorism and skin shade discrimination. This e-course utilizes evidence-based case-method teaching to train learners in the design of responsive, solution-centered media advocacy campaigns. Working with a multinational team of writers, physicians, scholars, eating disorder specialists, and instructional designers, the Harvard STRIPED team has developed this case-based e-course to engage learners in real-world dilemmas, problem-solving, and teamwork to build knowledge and skills that can address the impacts of colorism on the health and mental health of Indian adolescents. Grounded in a fictional narrative written by Indian sociologist and writer Reena Agarwal, this course utilizes evidence-based case-method teaching to train learners in the design of responsive, solution-centered media advocacy campaigns.

Skills: Students will develop skills in media advocacy and strategic storytelling techniques by creating a media campaign in response to the skin-lightening industry by identifying counter-narrative strategies for disrupting dominant narratives about skin shade ideals.

Fictional Narrative Document for Students

Short Films on Case Document Characters by Medical Aid Films for STRIPED 

Awards

STRIPED’s e-course, Tackling Colourism in India Through An Online Course for Public Health Professionals won the 2023 Technology Innovation Award from the Society for Public Health Education! Check out our winning poster

Congratulations to STRIPED’s Monique Santoso and team for receiving the Academy of Eating Disorders Body Image and Prevention SIG Top Student Abstract Award at the 2023 International Conference on Eating Disorders!

Tackling Colourism in India Through An Online Course for Public Health Professionals was a finalist for the “New Digital Course of the Year” award by the UK’s 2022 Digital Education Awards.

Articles

Santoso M, Agrawal R, Tiwari K, Manjanatha D, Austin SB, McAdams-Mahmoud A, Craddock N, Raffoul A. Tackling colourism through storytelling in an online course for public health professionals. Health Education Journal  (Abstract). 2023;82(4):430-433.