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Skin Colour Salience and Perceived Discrimination: An Experimental Study from India

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  • Anjum, Nishat
  • Chakravarty, Sujoy
  • Vaid, Divya

Abstract

We explore the effect of making skin colour salient on the perceptions discrimination of a group of college students from Kolkata and Delhi in India. Besides perceptions of skin colour discrimination, we also ask our participants to self-report discrimination they may have felt pertaining to their appearance, caste, income, education and gender. We find that compared to the control group, both lighter and darker skinned participants report significantly higher instances of overall discrimination. For darker-skinned individuals these experiences of discrimination are driven significantly by skin colour and appearance. On the other hand, our lighter skinned sample who are more elite on average, perceive higher overall discrimination arising from being excluded from income and employment opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • Anjum, Nishat & Chakravarty, Sujoy & Vaid, Divya, 2026. "Skin Colour Salience and Perceived Discrimination: An Experimental Study from India," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1793, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:1793
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Phelps, Edmund S, 1972. "The Statistical Theory of Racism and Sexism," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(4), pages 659-661, September.
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    JEL classification:

    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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