Vanessa Ortiz Piedrahíta
ortizvanessa9@gmail.com
Universidad del Pacífico, Colombia

Abstract:

This paper aims to reflect theoretically on racialized aesthetic models widespread in contemporary societies. To this end, a bibliographic review was performed, upon which we explore and discuss the way how the socio-racial order imposed on the nation from the colonial period on has setup a white somatic stereotype as a hegemonic pattern of beauty; since “white” was associated with rationality and beauty, while “black” was associated with illiteracy and ugliness. We aim to discuss whether those forms of socio-racial classification have been re-signified in Colombia, as a result of globalization processes, transnationalization, and multicultural equality policies passed in the last two decades all over Latin America, especially in Colombia with Constitutional Charter of 1991. These socio-cultural and socio-economic processes have coped with resignifying non-hegemonic standards of beauty, i.e. black and mulattoes in local and international contexts.

Keywords: aesthetic models, ethnic group-race, social class, gender.